Pokémon: Child of Fire
by FenrirUnchained
Summary: In the wilds of Johto, five researchers make an astonishing discovery. Years later, a young boy embarks on his quest for immortality. Along the way he must solve the mysteries surrounding his own life, battle a criminal organization, and defeat the strongest trainers in Kanto. On top of all that he must complete the PokéDex for Professor Oak! Is Red up to the task?
1. Prologue

**POKÉMON: Child of Fire**

 **The Indigo League**

 **By Andrew Shepard**

All characters and likenesses within are (C) Nintendo, GAME FREAK, and The Pokémon Company International

 **PROLOGUE**

 _Hello there! Welcome to the world of Pokémon! My name is Oak! People affectionately refer to me as the Pokémon Professor! This world is inhabited far and wide by incredible and mysterious creatures that we call "Pokémon". We humans live alongside Pokémon as friends. At times we play together, and at other times we work together. Some people use their Pokémon to battle and develop closer bonds with them. As for myself, I study Pokémon as a profession._

 _CLICK_

A woman on the screen spoke frantically over the sound of pounding rain. She holds on tightly to her microphone - a fierce wind threatening to take it away.

 _A massive storm has swelled up south of the Johto region. This hurricane, which meteorologists are already labeling as one of the worst of the century, is creating 50 foot swells and gale force winds up to 230 miles per hour in some areas. Many ships and planes in the affected areas have already begun losing contact with their ports and control towers, and both residents and travelers in the area are strongly advised to stay in their homes and head to their cellars if they have them. If you can safely reach a local storm shelter, please head there straight away._

 _CLICK_

A young woman looks away from the television and stares at a small, framed photo sitting on a nightstand. Tears fall down her face and into her lap as she clutches a glowing, prism, orb-shaped pendant hanging around her neck.


	2. Mirage

**Mirage**

Large, lush green fern leaves were pushed aside amidst pouring rain as Samuel, a middle-aged, but aging well, man in his thirties carefully made his way into a small clearing surrounded by dense jungle on all sides. He shielded his eyes from the rain with his hand as best he could and looked over his shoulder. Moments later another man who looked around the same age if not a slightly older than Samuel, entered the clearing, swatting the foliage away from his face. "This weather is unbelievable, Samuel. Can you believe how fast this storm is coming up? How are we supposed to find a safe place for base camp now?"

Samuel looked down, his hair and clothes completely soaked, with an exasperated sigh. "The only conceivable way for us to camp safely is to quickly find somewhere we can be sheltered from the raging elements. With how quickly this storm is growing, we may have to settle for whatever we can find - be it ideal or not. What's worse Rowan is that if this storm continues to escalate we aren't even going to find a place in time. Nevermind the rain, if it keeps up like this the wind is going to blow us away! Please ensure that the others are still safely behind us, my friend."

With a nod Rowan quickly went back through the leafy wall, returning moments later along with three other individuals, wearing heavy coats, who set down their large packs. All of them looked soaked to the bone and exhausted.

"These younger researchers are proving to be very eager to continue on our quest, despite these harsh conditions. Perhaps it's following their inspiring leader? After all, not everyone gets an opportunity to observe the great Professor Oak in his natural habitat!" The man jestingly nudged his elbow into the Samuel's side.

"It shouldn't be about me, Rowan, you know that," Oak said with a light chuckle. He knew that Rowan was just trying to lighten the mood under the dreary weather "It's about the pursuit of knowledge and greater insight into this amazing world we've been put on. There is still so much that we don't know about our world and the creatures in it. This region alone still has much unexplored territory harboring Maker-knows how many secrets. That means there could still be undiscovered species of Pokémon here as well!"

"Whoa there, Samuel! Calm your enthusiasm for a few minutes so we can all get some rest for a moment. It's been a long hike here and now it's quickly becoming a very precarious one. We still have at least another half day's journey to go, but with conditions as they are it's going to take much longer and we can't risk getting caught out in the open when things really go south." Rowan said as he placed an easing hand on Samuel's shoulder.

As Rowan spoke, Samuel thought he glimpsed something moving in the distance. Squinting hard through the downpour, he attempted to focus on the object through the dense foliage in the around them. Of course there was something moving; he knew that this was a densely populated valley, full of Pokémon on the ground, in the trees, and even beneath their feet underground. "What's that you see?" Rowan asked as he scratched at his beard that was beginning to fill in and showing early signs of grey. The others looked up as well when they saw the intense looks on their senior researchers' faces just a few short paces ahead of them.

"I'm not certain…" Oak replied apprehensively, "but I could swear there's something moving up ahead."

Not one to discount the instincts of his friend and colleague, a man who had also once been widely known as one of the most talented Pokémon trainers in his nation, Rowan took a step forward and tried to get a look at whatever it was that had caught his friend's attention. After several moments of staring through the rain and trees, he looked over at Oak to tell him that there wasn't anything to be seen, or whatever it had been was gone. But when he turned to face him, the expression on Samuel's face was undeniable; he was indeed seeing something, but what exactly it was proved to be the real question. Professor Samuel Oak had already established himself as the world's foremost authority on Pokémon, and Rowan had known him for many years, since before he had decided to become a researcher with a hunger for knowledge and discovery and no longer a trainer in pursuit of individual glory and status of legend. In all of that time and knowing all that Oak had already encountered, he had never seen such a look on his friend's face; one that could almost be described as ghastly. Whatever it was that Oak had seen, it was real and it was something that completely shocked him out of focus, even from their current precarious situation in the growing storm.

"Rowan..." Oak whispered in a soft tone so as not to scare away whatever he saw, "Rowan, do you see it…?" The look on his face was a fierce one of shock, awe, and disbelief.

Rowan moved closer to his colleague and tried to pinpoint where exactly Oak was staring, because it was evident that he was still seeing something there. "I don't see…anything there, Samuel. Where are you look-" Cutting him off mid-sentence, Samuel grabbed his arm and pointed a straight line to where his gaze had been fixed for the last several moments. It took a few seconds, but Rowan's eyes focused and then widened as finally he saw what Oak had been ghost-stricken by.

In the distance, surrounded by a glowing sphere, floated a small creature that Rowan knew had to be a Pokémon. The creature was maybe 100 yards ahead of them, in a small glade surrounded by the dense rainforest. From their distance they had a difficult time making out all of its features at first, but the creature seemed to be floating a few feet above the ground and had a long curled tail that ran half again the full length of its body. Oak held out an open hand and Rowan made haste through one of the compartments of his research travel pack and pulled out a large pair of binoculars and quickly handed them to his focused friend. Oak carefully raised the magnifying tool to his eyes and gently adjusted their focus so as to more clearly see what was in front of him. Through the binoculars he could make out more of its features: it was a pale pinkish hue and had short - almost stubby, pointed ears that were very feline-like, on the top of its head. It kept whipping back and forth, almost as though it was dancing or playing a child's game with itself.

The other researchers accompanying them just stood silent, unsure as to what was going on that had captivated their elders so. Professor Oak took a hesitant step forward as he felt something tugging at his heart and will. Rowan watched closely as his friend moved closer to the creature. It was definitely a Pokémon, he had no doubt of that, but not one that he had ever seen before. However Rowan was familiar with the legends of a mythical Pokémon connected to the Kanto and Johto regions. Tales of a "Phantom Pokémon" were scattered throughout ancient literature and texts, thought by many to be nothing more than "a mirage". There was never any concrete evidence regarding it, no solid facts to be found, just conjecture and old tribal myths passed down from one generation to the next, but what they were seeing right at this very moment was very real, that much was true. Whether they were truly in the presence of the mythical Pokémon known in those legends, that remained to be seen, but at this point that was all that was on their minds. As Oak drew closer to the creature, he could begin to hear its soft cry echo through the rain; at first it was only as audible as a whisper from a distance, but slowly he was able to make out its sound: a soft, but high-pitched " _mew_ …" piercing through the wind and rain.

When he was finally able to make out its cry, he froze in place immediately, trying to imagine the gravity of what he was now witness to out in the dense rainforest of the Silver Mountain range. He turned to Rowan who also heard the creature's soft cry and the two professors shared their moment of astonishment. Once he gathered the courage to move closer to what he was now positive was the ancient Pokémon, Mew it slowly turned its head to look at him, and through the binoculars for a moment the creature's gleaming sapphire eyes pierced through the deluge and were locked with his. Samuel didn't know what to do; all he knew was the feeling of something pulling at him to keep going forward. That feeling soon turned into follow as Mew began to slowly float off. Oak was sure he was following it for a reason. Why else would it be moving at a pace with which he could keep up in the first place? He could hear the rest of the research team starting to slowly trail behind him at a distance, but he didn't look back. He didn't even blink; he just kept his eyes fixated on Mew, as it, seemingly, led him through the dense foliage of the valley. The already darkened sky had only grown darker, and the rain was falling from the heavens with increasing intensity. The wind was reaching gale force, yet Professor Oak continued to follow for coming on two hours, by his estimate since he didn't risk looking down at his watch for fear of losing sight of the Phantom Pokémon. It led him far deeper into the valley than he had initially planned to go, but he knew somehow that wherever Mew went, he must follow. As he followed Mew, Oak's thoughts wandered through many of the things claimed of the Pokémon in the myths and legends which he had read: stories of its power, myths of it thought to be the ancestor of all Pokémon, and how it was said to appear only to those who were pure of heart. Oak didn't know if his heart was 'pure', but he wasn't going to complain today. Today he would follow. Today he would have faith that he was being led for reasons too great for him to understand right now.

 _This is either incredible or mad or both._ Rowan thought to himself as he and the rest of the research team followed behind Samuel Oak just close enough to still see and keep track of him. He didn't want to get any closer, or rather he did but he felt a pulling at his heart to keep his distance. Rowan glanced over his shoulder to see if the rest of the team was still in close proximity. He and Oak were the eldest of the team, with the rest being younger graduates from their respective institutes for Pokémon science and learning. They were some very promising young grads who he knew, someday soon, would become renowned professors in their own right. He himself hailed from the Sinnoh region, far from their current location on the map.

Two of the young men in their party were quietly talking as they walked; presumably trying to assess the situation and figure out just what exactly was going on: an understandable goal, as Rowan himself was still only grasping at straws. One of them, Elm, was a graduate from Johto, the region they were currently in the far northern ranges of, and was already becoming well-known throughout it for being one of the very first individuals to witness and document a Pokémon laying eggs and seeing them hatch. The larger man walking beside him, and scratching at the beginnings of a beard along his jawbone, was Birch of the Hoenn region. Rowan had never been to the region, but he had read that it has a plethora of tropical habitats and small island locales. The sole female in their party was a young girl by the name of Aurea Juniper. Her father, the nearly retired Cedric Juniper, was a renowned Pokémon professor the world over. They were from the far off Unova region. The girl couldn't have been more than 18 years old, but already she showed signs of brilliance. The thought of the positive future that was in store with researchers like this group was a pleasant distraction from the current mystery, but just as quickly as he had allowed his mind wander to the team behind him, Rowan reset his sights on trailing Oak and the _Phantom Pokémon_ yet again. He quickened his pace for several yards to make up for the lost ground from looking back, but dared not to get too close and slowed again so as to avoid complicating matters further. "I sure do pray that you know what you're doing, old friend." Rowan said softly aloud to himself as he gestured the rest of the team to come up more closely behind him.

Oak's legs were starting to burn with lactic acid build-up from the long hike that Mew had been leading him on for what had now been over 24 hours. He had felt the ground begin to incline a mile back, and now it had started to be not quite so gradual and it was all he could do to just push through the pain and cramping muscles as the path began to grow steeper. Though he hadn't dared divert his gaze away from his mythical guide, he had noticed that any Pokémon along the path had stopped whatever they were doing to just stare at Mew as it passed by, as though they too were in awe of its presence. The wind had begun to pick up too as Oak climbed ever higher up what he now believed to be Mt. Quena, the tallest mountain in the Johto region, rivaling even Mt. Silver which split the regions of Johto and his homeland of Kanto. This confirmed his theory that they had traveled far from their initial path, but he paid the revelation little mind as he was determined to continue to follow Mew wherever it would lead him. The weather clearly had other plans, as not only had the winds been blowing in strong gales, but the night sky had been dark with storm clouds, offering no light from the moon or stars. The near black nimbus overhead had been relentless in its deluge and Samuel was soaked from head to toe from the torrent. Behind him, the rest of his team had scrambled to don their heavier raincoats and pull up their hoods, but Oak pushed through the torrent as if it was just a light drizzle. He was too focused, too determined, and he felt he was too close now to let a 'little' rain slow him down. Through the storm he could still see his guide; Mew had generated a glowing sphere of light around itself, allowing the team to follow despite the reduced visibility around them. Oak's mind wandered more as hunger began to set in; a few times he had reached out and plucked some edible berries that he had noticed ahead of him, but those were hardly enough to sustain him. He hoped the rest of his team had eaten something from their travel packs, though they hadn't exactly planned on their trip taking such a turn of events.

Chewing on a part of a sandwich he had rationed for himself, Rowan wondered how much farther this would go on. It couldn't be much more now, as he too had assessed that they were nearing Mt. Quena's peak, or as close to it as could be ascended by normal means. His legs were tired, his body was tired, and so were his eyes from straining to make out the figure of Oak in this darkness using little more than their travel flashlights and the heavy rain was not doing him any favors either. He made a quick head count to ensure everyone was still with him, as they were. Trailing just a few paces behind him, Birch and Elm exchanged some fruit in their packs; each of which was unique to their respective regions. He was glad to see that they were still in relatively good spirits but could see the visible signs of fatigue on their faces even in the night. Then Aurea came jogging up beside him. She was wearing a heavy, water-resistant coat with a large, fur-tipped hood. The young girl looked at him with a questioning expression and seemed like she was ready for some answers. Rowan couldn't blame her; they had all been mindlessly following behind Professor Oak for over a full day now. They hadn't slept, and had been rationing what food stores they had brought with them for their, what had intended to be, relaxing expedition. After several moments of walking beside him and studying his face, she finally spoke up, "Professor Rowan, what exactly are we doing right now? I get that we've following Professor Oak, but to where? And why is he so far ahead of us?" Her bright, young mind was full of curiosity, but this was more than that and Rowan knew it. Had he not seen the Mirage Pokémon himself, he too would likely believe this to be some wild chase through the wilderness. He smiled at her, rain dripping from his beard, and put a hand reassuringly on her shoulder and gave her the quick version of why they were on this hunt. When he was through he wasn't certain if she understood, but she at least pretended to and they pressed on, as Rowan also felt this journey coming to its peak.

The rain had become more unbearable by the minute. With each passing moment, Oak felt his strength slipping away as the cold, hard deluge ceaselessly and mercilessly rained down - his only remaining strength coming from the feeling that he was nearly there; wherever 'there' was. He had climbed higher than he had intended to on this expedition and far further west as well, but when he saw that Mew had come to a stop just a hundred or so yards ahead of him, he felt a surge of energy. _Finally,_ he thought, _this is it_. He was so excited that he lost his footing on the muddy earth, falling end–over-end several feet backwards. He got up as soon as he stopped rolling, just as the rest of his team came up behind him. Oak rose to his feet, not looking back, and sprinted up the remainder of the distance to where his guide awaited him. He could hear the research team slowly making their way up behind him, but they were taking their time. _Probably safer that way…_ He thought to himself, noting his own misstep just moments ago. When he was finally no more than 10 or 20 yards from the mythical Pokémon that had been his mysterious guide for the better part of the last 48 hours, it floated into a small cave embedded into the mountainside. Oak took a quick glance around; he wasn't at the peak of Mt. Quena, but he was close enough for one trip. He raised his head and hands to the sky in thanks, allowing the fierce rain to wash away the mud that was caked all over his face and palms. Taking a deep breath, unsure of what he was going to find inside, he stepped forward into the darkness of the cave. The cave opening had been small, but beyond that it was wide, having a ceiling more than high enough for him to comfortably press forward without worry of hitting his head, and went back several more yards than he had expected. It began to curve at a sharp 90 degrees, and he noticed a faint, flickering light coming from around the bend. As he turned the corner, Oak involuntarily held his breath, not knowing what he would find, but even with all he had witnessed these last couple of days, what he saw was probably the absolute last thing he could have expected to find.

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

As the great Professor Oak would say, hello and welcome to the world of Child of Fire! I sincerely hope and pray that you enjoy your stay as you follow along in the adventures that will unfold within. Undoubtedly you will find many a parallel to the many mediums which this beloved franchise has spanned: the video games, manga, and the anime all had a hand in helping me shape the world within these pages and numerous characters from the aforementioned media will certainly make appearances both large and small. The opening prologue and this first chapter are meant to give a sense of wonder and mystery, and I pray that was clear to you as you poured over the pages. The prologue to the first movie comes to mind as the research team was traversing the Silver Mountains, while trailing behind the mythical Mew. Send me a private message or comment below on what you think Professor Oak will find inside the cave!


	3. An Unexpected Find

**An Unexpected Find**

Samuel Oak had stopped a few feet after turning the corner in the cave which had taken him an excess of two days to reach. His eyes were wide and mouth hanging partially open in disbelief at what was before him. When he had noticed the flickering light at the back of the cave, he had expected a fire in some form or fashion, but he hadn't expected it to be from the tail-tip flame of a Charmander, much less an infant, and even less still two of them. But what shocked him even more was that the two small, orange in hue and fire in affinity, reptilian Pokémon were nestled against a human child, a boy who couldn't, by his best estimate in the poor lighting of the cave, be more than 6 or 7 years old. But Oak didn't even get enough time to ponder on how the child came to be here, as he noticed that all three of them, the boy and the two infant Pokémon, were all in poor health. It was clear that they had not eaten much in days, no surprise given the fact that they were in no shape to go find food on their own and much less in the weather and conditions that had reigned over the valley the last two days. They shivered, their only source of warmth being each other's body heat and the small flames on the tips of the baby Charmanders. That trademark flame on the end of every Charmander's tail was also a tell-tale sign of its vitality: the more intensely the flame burned, the stronger and healthier the Pokémon, whereas the opposite also held true: if the flame on the end of its tail was weak, so too were its life-signs, and these flames were barely more than a small flickering candle. Being the expert that he was, Oak knew that if a Charmander's tail goes out, it can faint or worse. He took a step forward and removed two Poké Balls from his pack, determined to keep these two infants alive until he was able to get them to the nearest Pokémon Center. The staff there would be able to nurse them back to perfect health. The two Charmander clung tightly onto the boy, acting as though he were another sibling they were protecting. The professor knew they didn't have the strength to harm him if he got closer, but he didn't want to scare them either; after all, even a weakened Charmander could still be volatile if it feels cornered and threatened. He paused as Mew, who had been levitating a few feet above the boy and Charmanders, floated closer to the boy and did something which shocked and amazed the professor. The small child looked up at Mew in a way that suggested he had seen it before. This told Oak that Mew had been keeping watch over these three for some time now. The boy then raised a hand up to the Pokémon as Mew, floating down within reach of the child, pressed its own small hand against the child's and made a smiling expression with its eyes, a look of 'Everything is going to be alright now', as the point where their hands met began to shine brightly. Professor Oak was astounded and watched as Mew removed and levitated a glowing strand of its fur, fur that was so fine that Oak hadn't even noticed it had any until just now, and inserted it somehow into the child's forehead, like it was sharing a bit of its DNA or its life force with the child to help him hold on a bit longer. Never before had he seen anything remotely as wild, fascinating, or unbelievable as what was now taking place before his eyes. Almost instinctively, Samuel reached into his pack and pulled out his camera. Raising it to be just level with Mew, he breathlessly positioned his finger over the shutter release as the Mirage Pokémon half-turned to face him.

 _SNAP_

The camera's flash went off and light shot from the cave. No sooner had Oak lowered the camera, Mew teleported away in a flash of light of its own. Looking down at his camera, Oak wondered if he got the photo, but that would have to wait. He heard the rest of his team outside and footsteps running towards him as young Aurea came running from around the corner.

"Professor Oak, what are you doing in here?," the young girl exclaimed, "And what have we been hiking all over-" Aurea was silent, stopped mid-thought, as her eye caught the young boy and Charmanders in the corner just a few feet from where she and the professor were standing. "Oh my god…!" She nearly tripped over her own feet as she turned and rushed over to the three, little, waning lives before her. Aurea picked up the boy and cradled him closely against her chest, as she whispered into his ear, "It's going to be alright; you're safe now…" As she held him, the two infant Charmanders stumbled over to her, tugging on her pant legs to get to the boy they felt they had been protecting. She looked over at Professor Oak, with an empathetic look of sorrow for the poor and assumed parentless, Pokémon. "Professor…," she started to say, before Oak nodded and held up the two Poké Balls he had in his hands. A bright light shot from each sphere as they opened and a glowing energy surrounded the two, baby Pokémon. The light lifted up off of the cave floor as the Charmanders each were sucked into a Poké Ball before the capsules sealed shut. They would stay safely inside the Poké Balls until the research team was able to get to a PokéCenter. Professor Oak knelt down to the ground as the rest of the team finally came up behind them. Rowan looked Oak dead in the eye and Oak gave him an unspoken acknowledgement that something incredible had transpired. Birch and Elm came next, and looking perplexed as all they saw was Aurea holding the young boy and Oak kneeling on the ground with a ghastly look on his face.

Samuel was on one knee, both from exhaustion and from being in deep thought. Then, looking over to his right, he noticed a scattering of eggshell fragments.

"Elm," he immediately called.

"Yes, professor?" Elm responded as he quickly made his way over to where Oak was kneeling.

"Take a look at this…," Oak said as he motioned to the eggshell remains. "What do you make of this?"

"Well," Elm paused for just a moment, "it looks like the remains of a Pokémon eggshell, sir."

 _That's just it_ , Oak thought, ' _A' Pokémon eggshell…Just one. And yet there were two Charmanders here._

"Gather up every fragment you can find and account for, just to be sure."

"Right away, sir!" Despite the fatigue, Elm practically snapped to attention as Oak assigned him his task. The professor felt bad about asking anything of any member of his team at this point, with them all hungry, sore, and sleep-deprived, but this was important and it certainly showed the work ethic of these young researchers in going far above and beyond what was required of them. After several minutes of scouring the cave floor in a roughly 10 foot radius of where the bulk of the fragments were, Elm returned to Oak, with each fragment he could find in his hands.

"This is everything, Professor." He said as he handed Oak the shards.

"Very good," Oak acknowledged laboriously, fatigue finally setting in, "please take out your field storage kit and we'll place them in there for further examination later." Elm did as directed and removed a small box from his pack, quickly adjusting his glasses and unlocking it and placing each egg fragment inside with care. He didn't know what the significance of the shell shards was to the professor, but he wasn't about to question him on the matter either. Besides, he was far too exhausted to do so and figured that he would learn their purpose in due time. Patience was a prerequisite for his profession anyways. He smiled and slid the box safely back inside his pack.

Aurea held the boy carefully in her arms. Then spoke up, "We need to get him out of here. And I mean right now. He's shivering and probably hasn't eaten in God knows how long."

Birch nodded and reached into his pack, pulling out his Pokémon Navigation device, also referred to as PokéNav. PokéNav acts as a GPS tracking device as well as a satellite phone. Quickly noting the party's latitude and longitude position on the GPS's map, Birch then dialed the emergency frequency, sending out a distress call to whatever city might hear it.

"Hello? This is professor Birch of the United Pokémon Researchers Expedition. We are deep in the wilds of Johto, about 4 miles up the southwest side of Mt. Quena. We are in need of immediate aerial extraction from any town with transport capable of reaching us. Our coordinates are…"

After repeating the message several more times, they at last received a response.

 _Hello research team, this is Olivine City Tower Control; we have received your distress call and are prepping an extraction and rescue team as we speak. Confirming your coordinates at…_

There was a huge cheer followed by a sigh of relief from the entire research team. They were all quite ready to get down from this mountain and get home.

Samuel sat at the back of the cave with his hands resting on his knees. He had volunteered first watch, but Rowan had put his hand on his friend's shoulder and said that he would take it in his stead. Even though everyone else insisted that he rest, Oak was far too overwhelmed by all that had transpired to be able to rest his mind at least until they were off this mountain. He periodically looked over at the other members of his party to make sure they were all doing as well as possible. Birch and Elm sat by a small fire they had managed to put together using some dried twigs and matches after several unsuccessful attempts. He had considered having one of the two Charmanders light the fire for them, but quickly dismissed the idea. The infant Pokémon were far too weak at the moment to provide assistance, and even if they could, it potentially could use up the last of whatever energy they had left. No, they had been through enough and would stay safe and secure until they could be tended to by the clinic nurses at the PokéCenter. Young Aurea Juniper was still taking care of the boy. She leaned up against the wall of the cave and held him in her lap. The boy was looking straight at Oak, and it was in that moment where he saw it. He wasn't sure at first if it was the light from the fire or not, but the boy's eyes were crimson red, gleaming like twin flames in the cave. He shook his head and looked again, but the boy's eyes were closed now, presumably because he was sleeping or attempting to do so. Juniper lifted her head and looked over at the professor.

"What is it, professor?"

"Oh, it's nothing, Aurea. Rest."

Aurea protested, "Tell me." She had a brilliant young mind, but not only that, she was sharp as a Beedrill's stingers.

After a moment, Oak looked at the boy, "That child has a fire in his eyes."

"You sure it's not just the campfire, professor?"

Oak just smiled as he laid his head back against the cool wall of the cave.

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Well now, THAT was certainly unexpected wasn't it? I certainly hope that it took you by surprise! How on earth did that little boy end up in the Silver Mountain Range, and what significance does this hold? Many questions are no doubt circling your brain, and I fully intend to give you answers...in time! What's your take on the interaction with the child, and his discovery in general? PM me or comment below and let me know your guys' thoughts!


	4. Rescue

**Rescue**

Hours had passed since the party had received word that a rescue team was on its way. Night had passed and it was now early morning. Rowan, Oak, and Elm had each completed a 2 hour watch and Birch was nearing the same length, when he heard the faint, low drone of engines off in the distance. The rain had at last let up about an hour and a half ago, so Birch rose from his seat along the mouth of the cave and squinted through the rain to see what was coming. What he saw made him jump up and down excitedly, waving his arms and shouting, "Hey! We're over here!"

At the sound of this, everyone but Aurea and Oak jumped to their feet, running to where Birch was to join him in welcoming their rescue. Oak and Aurea however, remained where they were. Oak, too tired to move, just smiled and breathed a sigh of relief, while Aurea stayed still, holding the child. As the engine sound grew louder, they saw that it was a large rescue helicopter which usually sat up to eight passengers. Minutes later, the helicopter was hovering just outside of the cave opening, and an emergency response rescuer tethered down from the craft and onto the ground, signaling an Electabuzz, a mostly humanoid Electric Type Pokémon, leaning out the side of the chopper to roll a ladder down. He stepped forward and removed his helmet to give the team a better sense of security and welcoming, as he brushed a hand over his spiky, blonde hair. He was clearly a military man by profession, from his clean-cut look, broad shoulders and chest, and his squared posture and how he carried himself as he walked.

"Hey there!" he shouted over the helicopter's two loud turbines, "My name's Lieutenant Surge, and I understand you fine people would like a ride outta here! Don't just stand there soaking in your skivvies, climb aboard and get outta this beautiful weather!"

The man obviously enjoyed what he did, because he had a wide grin across his face as he spoke and helped each of the researchers up the ladder one-by-one. He started with Aurea, who tentatively handed the child to the lieutenant before making her way up the ladder one rung at a time. Next was Professor Rowan, who was followed by Elm and Birch. Each of them took a bit longer to make their way up than Aurea, as they were each carrying their large field packs. Professor Oak was the last to make the climb; as team leader he wanted to ensure that the rest of his team had safely made it inside the chopper before he did. He took one last look over his shoulder at the cave and then hefted his pack tightly on his shoulders, stepping up onto the ladder and making his climb. His last climb for a while; he was tired of climbing.

After the last of the research team had climbed into the cabin and put their harnesses over their shoulders, Lt. Surge grabbed Aurea's pack and slung it over one shoulder before quickly making his way up the ladder, tightly hanging onto the child which Aurea had entrusted to him. Once inside he took a quick look around to make sure everyone was properly strapped in, taking another moment to help Aurea fix her harness and hand her the boy.

"Hold onto him tight, little miss," he directed her, "it could get a little bumpy in here. Plant your boots on the floor, folks, we are gettin' outta here!" He set his helmet and Aurea's pack on the floor and then made a quick hand motion to the Electabuzz signaling it to close the vehicle's hatch. He swung himself around to the cockpit and into the pilot's seat. "Let's get the heck outta here, yeah?," he shouted as the aircraft began to slowly turn and the turbines spin faster. The two turbines angled themselves and the chopper sped off and away from Mt. Quena.

The inside cabin of the helicopter was a little cramped at best, but that was mostly due to the large field packs strewn about the floor. Each researcher had brought with them a large pack which housed their respective equipment and food stores, as well as standard tools such as Poké Balls and other necessary items. Oak, who had been sitting in deep thought since setting foot on the aircraft, looked up to see Aurea and the boy fast asleep, and Elm and Birch each resting their eyes as well. Only Rowan was entirely awake like he was; and he stared intently at him, trying to pick his brain from the day's events. Finally he spoke up after a long period of silence, "Oak…what happened back there? That was Mew right? What did it show you before the rest of us got there? There had to be more…am I right?"

Oak spoke very slowly and purposefully, "I believe that Mew had been watching over that child in Aurea's arms for at least several days now, but more importantly than that…," Oak paused for a moment, choosing his words carefully, "I believe there to be a much deeper connection between it and that boy than even I realize yet; something that will come in time. I think that this boy has a lot more to show us." He then described the events of the cave to his colleague.

Rowan nodded, digesting his friend's words. "I trust your judgment, Samuel." He finally said before leaning back in his seat and attempting to get some rest of his own. Oak just nodded to himself. He didn't bother trying to sleep; there would be plenty of time for that later, and they were only another couple of hours from Olivine City's port at this pace anyways. The sky had cleared for the most part by now, as they were no longer in the deep valleys to the north, where the weather was violently unpredictable.

"Wake up, ladies and gents," the lieutenant's voice boomed over the roar of the engines, "Olivine Port is dead ahead!" The sound jolted Oak awake. He had managed to fall asleep in the last ten minutes anyways, despite not meaning to. He slapped his palms against his cheeks to quicken the awakening process; the exhaustion from their trip had gotten to him more than he thought. That one expedition had pushed the limits of his endurance and adrenaline nearly as much as his entire journey he took as a young Pokémon trainer a couple of decades ago. The others began to stir more slowly, rubbing their eyes and yawning widely as they stretched and tried to wake up while the chopper began its descent to the helipad located by Olivine City's famous lighthouse. The Olivine Lighthouse guided all ships near the southern end of Johto safely into port. The day was getting late and the sun had begun to set, painting the sky and sea with pinks, reds, and orange hues. When the chopper landed, Lt. Surge flung open his door and ran around the side to help the research team out of the cabin as the Electabuzz wound down the turbines and began shutting everything down. Oak could see a medical truck speeding towards them with its lights flashing and sirens blaring. He assumed that the siren was much louder than he was hearing at the moment; everything was happening in slow motion for him and he wasn't sure if that was the exhaustion, hunger, or a mixture of both. The ambulance came to a screeching halt just several yards away from them, and a team of medics hopped out of the side and sped towards them. The lieutenant first gently helped Aurea, who handed him the boy before stepping down from the cabin, out of the chopper. Once she was on the ground, Surge handed the child back to her and she headed straight for the medics who immediately began to check their pulses and pupil dilation among other things before getting them both on a gurney and taking them straight back to the ambulance. Oak watched them speed away towards the hospital as a second ambulance approached. He assumed this second truck was for him and the rest of his team, and exited the chopper and made his way towards it as soon as it came to a full stop. The other researchers had already exited the chopper and were anxiously awaiting entry to the nearest hotel. They all had two things on their minds: a meal and a bed.

"I'll have all of your bags checked in to your hotel and you can sort it out when you get there from the hospital once you all get checked out." The lieutenant told Oak. "It's been a pleasure getting you fine folks home safely, and I hope you all get some well-needed shut-eye and grub." He extended his hand to Oak and they shook, after which Lt. Surge snapped the team a crisp salute before loading their packs on the truck that had just arrived to take their belongings to their awaiting hotel.

Inside the medical truck heading towards the hospital, Oak glanced around at the present members of his team: Rowan, Elm, and Birch. They all looked exhausted and understandably so; he was ready for a warm bed and hot meal himself, though which he wanted first was difficult to say. He sighed heavily as the truck came to a stop in front of Olivine's hospital for humans. _For humans!_ , He leaped from his seat and bolted out the back of the ambulance, his team bewildered at what had come over him, though at this point they were all done chasing after Professor Oak for one trip.

The driver of the ambulance shouted over at Oak as he ran frantically towards the entrance to the hospital. "Hey! What are you doing?!" Oak stopped and turned around, huffing and gasping for breath as he got back to the ambulance where the others were just beginning to pile out and be led towards the building.

"Where is your nearest PokéCenter?" Oak asked in a hurried tone.

"Our nearest PokéCenter?"

"Yes, your nearest Pokémon Center! Where is it?"

The driver looked at him for a moment, puzzled by the request at a time where human medics were clearly required. But he shrugged, scratching his head, and pointed to the Pokémon Center off in the distance; its massive Poké Ball sign beginning to light up from all the lights in the port city flickering to life as the sun finally said its final farewell for the day. Professor Oak began running, yet again leaving his team behind scratching their heads at his behavior, straight towards the clinic for Pokémon. He was sweating profusely and running out of breath quickly, having to stop every 40 yards or so to catch his breath again, when he heard the ambulance pull up beside him. The driver reached over and swung the passenger side door open. "Hop in, old man. You've gone Zubats if you think you're going to make it there like this."

Oak, with his hands on his knees, catching his breath, nodded and stepped into the front seat. As soon as he shut the door, the driver stepped hard on the gas pedal. "I'm guessing that you're in a bit of a hurry to get to the PokéCenter, old man," said the driver as they rapidly approached the front of the clinic, "so I'll get you there ASAP."

"Thank you," Oak said, reaching into his coat pocket and pulling out the Poké Balls that held the two, weak Charmanders, "I appreciate the help."

He shook the driver's hand once they reached the Pokémon Center and made his way inside. The inside of the PokéCenter was pearl white - the walls, tile floors, and counter tops, and was fairly devoid of people. Professor Oak walked up to the young girl sitting behind the counter. She had deep blue eyes and salmon pink hair that was in large, twin loops. Her nametag read 'Joy'. The girl smiled brightly at Oak as he walked up to the desk and set the two Poké Balls in his hands on the counter.

"Welcome to the Olivine Pokémon Center. We can heal your Pokémon back to perfect health! Would you like me to take your Pokémon?"

Oak was tired and his head was hanging heavily over the counter as he pushed the two Poké Balls towards the nurse. "These two Charmanders…please…they are in extremely poor health and are very weak..." The girl nodded and called for a hospital aid to come quickly. Seconds later, a large, pink, oval-shaped Pokémon wearing a nurse's hat came barreling around the corner. Oak recognized it as a Chansey, a Pokémon with magnificent natural healing abilities. Because of this ability, and their always-happy and very kind demeanor, Chansey were commonly used in Pokémon Centers as aids to the nurses or function as nurses themselves. Nurse Joy carefully placed the two Poké Balls on a tray and set that on a small rolling cart, after which the Chansey quickly placed its short arms on and rolled the cart around the corner and headed for the emergency care room. Oak put his back to the front counter and then slid down to the floor, leaning his head back and closing his eyes.

"Sir…? Sir, would you like for me to call for a ride to the hospital for you?" The young nurse said with a soft smile. "I'm afraid we don't have the necessary amenities to heal people back to perfect health." Professor Oak knew she could tell he was exhausted beyond the strains of most people that came through here, and that she was just trying to raise his spirits. It might have worked too, if he wasn't so near passing out. He was too tired to speak, so he just lightly nodded his head. The girl turned and went to the telephone and dialed the hospital. They would be there at the PokéCenter within minutes, so Oak just stayed where he was. He wasn't going anywhere; he'd had enough travel for this week.

The medics arrived and helped the professor to his feet and walked him into the back of the ambulance, where he laid down with two of the medics watching over him as they rode back towards the hospital. Oak was in a starved daze as he was escorted to the emergency wing of the clinic. He passed the rooms where his other team members, Rowan, Elm, and Birch, were receiving treatment. He didn't see Aurea and the boy however, so he asked one of the nurses taking him to his room, "There was a girl and a little boy that came in just before the rest of us...where are they?" The nurse nodded as they rounded a corner, "Yes, they were rushed straight into intensive care and have been under careful watch ever since. To the best of my knowledge, with some good rest and a hot meal, they should both recover just fine, as should the other members of your team. You all got here just in time, professor." She said with a smile.

Professor Oak closed his eyes and smiled as the nurses got him into a hospital bed. The bed was small, and by most standards it would be considered only mildly comfortable, but today was different. Today, 'most standards' went out the window; today, Oak didn't care. And he wondered what significance the mythical Mew and the child it had watched over held as he slipped, finally, into a deep sleep.

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Were you surprised by who came to our Research Team's aid? I thought that having the Lieutenant make an appearance at this stage was fitting and sensible, after all he is a military man so it only follows that he would be well-suited for this sort of operation. Pokemon existing as far more than tools for battle has been a recurring theme in the games and animated series, and that's a theme that will remain within my narrative as well, so I especially like having an electric type humanoid Pokemon such as Electabuzz working with something mechanical (helicopter). If Machoke and Machamp can help with moving heavy objects and such, why not? Give me your thoughts!


	5. Over a Meal

**Over a Meal**

Stirring in his hospital bed, Professor Oak awoke to find his room empty of anyone but him. He rubbed his eyes and he sat up, trying to wake up his sight as well to adjust to the harsh florescent lighting of the medical center. He twisted out of the bed, haphazardly tossing the sheets aside, and slid his feet down to the floor. It was cold - very cold. Oak peered around for his socks and boots and spotted them in the room's left-hand corner nearest to the door. When he walked over to pick them up he saw a set of fresh clothes had been hung out for him. He slipped on the clean pair of socks and his boots, which also had been cleaned, and, after donning the clean clothes, made his way out of the room and towards the front of the hospital. When Oak reached the front desk to check himself out of the medical center, he saw the rest of his team there waiting for him.

"There he is." Elm said as Oak came walking in. Everyone else turned from what they had been doing to welcome their leader back to the group.

"How long was I out for?" Oak inquired, yawning and still rubbing his eyes.

"Nearly 12 hours," said Rowan, as he put a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder, "just about all of us were."

Oak pondered for a moment and then stretched, pleased that he had received a good dose of sleep. "I certainly feel like I slept for that long," he said as he yawned again and nodded his head.

Birch gave him a pat on the back and Aurea smiled and nodded. She still had the boy in her care, and he was clinging to her like a young child would to its mother. Both of them looked to be in a much improved state of health. Oak nodded back to her; he would have her catch him up on the status of the boy later. Now that everyone was more or less rested, they all had one thing on their minds: food. After they had all been signed out of the hospital, a taxi van arrived to take them to their hotel down the road. No one spoke during the short drive; they were all still waking up or relaxing while watching the city lights zip by. Once the taxi had dropped them off, they entered the hotel lobby, received their room keys, and headed to their respective rooms. They were single person rooms, each with their own shower and bath - which every one of them would put to immediate use.

Aurea Juniper walked down the hall to her room on the seventh floor of the hotel, holding the boy's hand along the way. When they reached the door, she looked at him, "I'm going to let go of your hand for a moment ok? I have to unlock the door so we can get inside." The boy let his small fingers slip away from hers and he nodded his head. He hadn't said a word yet. Aurea was beginning to worry that he may have been traumatized into no longer speaking, but she had to hope for the best. He had, she imagined, been through a lot. After sliding her card key into the electronic lock, the device beeped once and the light on it turned green, signifying its acceptance of the key. Aurea turned the handle and pushed the door open as the boy took her hand again and they stepped inside. She turned the lights on low, having noticed that the boy had been squinting at the hospital, presumably from the harsh lighting that was used there. He opened his eyes a bit wider and looked around cautiously as he slowly let go of her hand. Aurea smiled and went to make sure that her pack had been delivered to the right room. After taking a moment to inspect the contents of the bag, and having been pleased with the state of it, she stood up and turned to the child again.

"What do you say we get you all cleaned up, hmmm?"

After drawing a hot bath, she helped the boy get undressed and into the bathtub, which was quite large for a single occupant hotel room. She was an only child in her family and so never had any younger siblings of her own. She was feeling like a mother and an older sister all at the same time. "You want me to help you out or do you think you've got this covered on your own?" The boy looked around and grabbed a large blue bottle of shampoo with both hands and began applying it to his body. Aurea laughed and shook her head. "No, no, no, silly that goes here," she said as she tousled his hair, which was quite filthy. She rolled up her sleeves and held her hand out in front of him and said with a smile, "Here, give me some." After he squirted a large amount of it into her hand, she poured some of the bath water onto his head, lathered up the shampoo and started to wash his hair.

"You see that one right there?" She said, pointing to a bottle which read 'Body Wash' on its label, "Use that on the rest of your dirty little self."

Aurea let out an exaggerated sigh as she lay in a freshly-drawn bath tub. She had decided that even though the others were probably hungry, maybe even already started eating, she was going to allow herself at least 15 minutes to relax in a hot bath. The hotel employees had been kind enough to drop off a clean set of clothes for the boy: a fresh white t-shirt, a pair of blue jeans, and a small zip-up hoodie - with which he seemed particularly entertained. Aurea told him that he looked better when he showed his now clean, dark brown - almost black hair. Looking at the wall clock, she groaned, not wanting to leave the relaxing atmosphere of the steaming bath. But she was hungry and so was the boy and everyone else. She rinsed all of the soapy water off of herself and drained the bath, drying off with a large, cobalt colored towel and stepping out of the tub. "Goodbye, happy place." she said with a small pout as she readied her change of fresh clothes.

Everyone sat at a set of tables that had been pushed together in the hotel's restaurant. Elm and Birch were arguing over which of their regions was home to the best desserts, while Oak and Rowan chatted about some of the less harrowing events and discoveries that had occurred on their journey, over a glass of red wine. Aurea walked in with the boy walking beside her. They were playing a game of sorts wherein he kept pulling the hood of his jacket over his head and she kept immediately pulling it back down. They joined the rest of the group at the table and started pouring over the menu to figure out what they wanted. Aurea helped the boy understand the menu and order a small bowl of pasta with a creamy, white sauce. The team talked about their trip over the meal, which was very satisfying, and one of the waiters brought a coloring mat and some colored crayons for the boy to use. Professor Oak began watching the boy curiously; the crimson hue he had seen in his eyes back in the cave was still there, and no less intense. After their meal, everyone stood up and got ready to head back to their rooms. "Say, Professor Oak, do you think we could make a stop at my lab in New Bark on our way back tomorrow?," asked Elm as he turned to Samuel, "I'd really like to get a chance to take a closer look at those shell fragments."

"As would I," Oak concurred, "though I would understand if the rest of you have had enough work for one trip." The rest of the team shrugged and shook their heads, not having any issue with taking the opportunity to see if their adventure had bore any fruit.

"It's settled then. We'll make a stop in New Bark Town before all heading home tomorrow." Said Oak, pleased that his team was still ready to gain more knowledge. Before parting ways for the night, the boy walked over to Oak, much to his surprise, and handed him the sheet of paper that the waiter had given him to color on, before running back to Aurea and heading up to their room. Oak watched them walk away as the boy took one look over his shoulder back at the professor. Oak held the paper under the light and his eyes widened in wonder as he looked at the crude drawing of two Charmanders he held in his hands.

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

This chapter was meant to be a cool-down, or a break in the action of sorts, with no action. That is not to say that it lacked anything of importance! On the contrary, anyone paying attention to the interactions and relationships between characters might notice the subtle threads of the future woven into the plot. Something that I want to use Tackle on right away is Aurea Juniper's "bath scene", if it can even be called such. This was not meant to be fan service of any kind, but rather the natural progression of what a young woman would want to do after having spent days out in the pouring rain and muddy landscape of the mountains.

An aside on Professor Juniper, as long as I'm already on the subject: I began conceptualizing Child of Fire circa 2007. When I was first starting out with this tale obviously the 4th generation of Pokemon had only just begun and the Unova Region, with its many characters and critters, was not yet a known entity and would not be for quite some time thereafter. However, when 5th gen did finally arrive I deemed Aurea to be an integral addition to the research team in the early chapters of this story as I felt having a maternal figure at this point would be crucial in setting the tone for future character growth and overall plot progression.

What did you guys think of Aurea's motherly caring for the child? As always, thoughts and queries in the comments below or shoot me a PM!


	6. Gemini

**Gemini/A Hard Choice**

"Yes, that is correct. I don't see that as being a problem at all...Yes, he can be dropped off first thing in the morning…No, picking him up now wouldn't be possible I'm afraid…Well, you see, we aren't quite back in Kanto yet…Correct…"

Rowan spoke on the phone with a representative from the orphanage in Viridian City. Though dwarfed in size and population by the port city of Vermillion and some of the other cities in central Kanto, it was the main city on the region's western border. It lay just north of Pallet Town, a lightly populated suburban hamlet, and best known as the home of Professor Samuel Oak. Aurea was playing with the boy while Oak, Elm, and Birch were huddled around a workbench in the recently completed Pokémon Research Lab in Elm's home of New Bark Town. New Bark sat on the very edge of Johto, with only Routes 27 and 26 separating it from Kanto's western border. Even though he was still young compared to Oak and Rowan, Elm was at the forefront of Pokémon evolution research and was rising to be one of the top Pokémon researchers in the world. He was spearheading revolutionary new research into not only Pokémon evolution, but also their breeding and parenting patterns. Oak could not have been more proud to see his young friend's new lab, nor more grateful because he had special need of its facilities right now. Sitting on the workbench to his left, among a littering of various tools and parts, were the Poké Balls which held the two Charmanders inside. The professor was leaning over some freshly made blueprints with Elm and Birch. As he discussed the designs with them, he gently smoothed over the large sheets of paper with his hand in a quick motion.

"This Poké Ball capsule will be one-of-a-kind and specifically tailored. Elm, you confirmed that the DNA from the two Charmanders is the same DNA as that which was found on the shell fragments from the cave. After scouring the cave floor for every last piece we could find, only enough was present to piece together a single egg. This can lead us to only one fascinating conclusion and that is that these two newborn Charmanders are from the same egg twins!"

As an expert on Pokémon evolution, Elm couldn't help but be excited at the revelation of such a discovery and had been jotting down notes throughout the entire duration of the professor talking.

"Now," Oak continued, "our task is to build this capsule so that it will hold both of the twin Charmanders inside it, and respond specifically to their DNA alone. We will call this special Poké Ball the Gemini Ball. The professors all began working in tandem, piecing together the invention one bit at a time. They poured over the designs for hours, making aesthetic and utility modifications, until finally the new Poké Ball was complete.

Oak held it up in his hand once the capsule's creation had been completed. "This ball should be able to hold the two Charmanders, provided our theories and designs were accurate. One way or another, we're about to find out." He walked over to the lab bench where the two Poké Balls which currently held to the Pokémon had been for the last few hours. Taking each one in his hand, he raised them up and gently pressed the release button on the front of each capsule simultaneously. When he did, a brilliant white light shot out of each ball, and the two baby Charmanders materialized on the lab floor. Professor Oak stared at the Pokémon for a moment, looking first at one, then the other, and then back at the first.

"Remarkable…" he said, astounded as he noticed that, while the Charmanders were in fact twins from the same egg, that they were actually not the same hue. "Now that I can see them under some real light, I just noticed that one of these Charmanders has a rare coloration to it."

The other professors began to gather around the two, baby Pokémon to see what the professor meant. "You're right, though I'm not from Kanto, look at how that one is a far lighter hue than the normal orange for its species," observed Rowan.

The twin Fire Type Pokémon sat on the cold tile floor for a moment before stirring a bit, looking up at the group of people who surrounded them. They started to tremble, unfamiliar with their new surroundings and the humans there. Aurea walked over with the boy, holding his hand; when the boy saw the two Charmanders sitting on the floor, trembling, he dashed over to them. The two, Fire Type Pokémon huddled into the boy as they started to relax at the sight of a familiar face. Aurea looked over at Samuel and then rushed over to the boy, grabbing his hand and pulling him away. When she did this the Charmanders growled, their tail tips flaring white hot. Quickly, Oak set the two used capsules aside and held up the Gemini Ball, pressing the release button on it, which caused a reddish-orange light to shoot out from within its core and surround both Charmanders as they vanished, pulled into the Gemini Ball simultaneously.

Rowan, wide-eyed from the event, looked over at Samuel. "Did you see that? I've never seen a baby Charmander act like that. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen any newborn Pokémon act in such a way."

Oak nodded and breathed a sigh of relief; he could tell the strength of a Pokémon, and those twin Charmanders were remarkably, if not deceptively, strong. He walked over to Aurea, the boy clutching the tail-end of her coat, and knelt down to the child. The professor held out his hand, the Gemini Ball which now contained the two Charmanders resting on his palm, and held it closer to the boy.

"Here, son, I believe this belongs to you."

The child looked up at Aurea, who just smiled back down on him. He then tentatively reached out his hand to take the capsule from the professor's.

"Go on; it's yours, boy." Oak encouraged as the boy drummed up the nerve to get closer. After several moments, the boy reached out his hand one more time and got his fingers around the Gemini Ball. He held his hand over it as it still rested on the professor's palm for another moment, and Oak felt a great strength and determination, like a fire, coming from within the child. At last he clasped both of his small hands around the capsule and pulled it back towards himself. He smiled and his eyes seemed to gleam brightly, as he stared at the spherical capsule he now held in his hands.

The rest of the group all smiled as they saw the contented child. Feeling their efforts had been well-rewarded, they now turned their attention to the next matter at hand: the child himself. Elm spoke up first.

"Now that that's taken care of, what are we going to do about the boy himself? Not to state the obvious, but he can't exactly stay here in the lab; that's no place for a child to be. He needs to be around others his age. You know, go to school - be a kid."

"I've already spoken with the Viridian City orphanage. They said that they would be happy to take him in and we can drop him off first thing in the morning."

"Well, would any of us be able to take him?" Birch queried. "I know that I personally wouldn't be able to; not that I wouldn't want to, but I already have a little 5 year old girl, May, and she's enough of a handful on her own. That and I would worry about not being able to give him enough attention with my constant field research; I worry about that enough already with May."

"Hey you're a great dad and you'll only get better; don't worry." Elm reassured his friend and as he patted him on the back.

"I'll take him," pleaded Aurea, not liking the idea of the boy being dropped off at an orphanage and being surrounded by people he didn't know, "I would love to take care of him. He would be like the baby brother that I never had."

The others all knew she was going to offer, but the truth was that Aurea was too young to have to worry about the responsibility of raising a child. They all felt for her though. Aurea knew it too, but she had grown attached to the boy and he had clearly grown attached to her as well.

"I know…The answer is 'no'. I just…"

"We know you've grown very fond of each other, Aurea. We're very sorry." Rowan consoled. "Samuel, what do you think we should do?"

Oak thought a moment. "My vote would be to have him stay at the Viridian Orphanage until someone comes along that can give him the proper care that, in truth, none of us currently can. It's also close to my town so, if nothing else, I can also keep a watchful eye on him there."

The others nodded, though Aurea's nod was a bit more of accepting the fact that that's what they were going to do, rather than actually being in full support of it. "Okay…" she said; her tone notably sullen.

"It's settled then," announced Oak, "In the morning I'll drop the boy off at the orphanage."

Aurea picked up the boy in her arms and held onto him tightly. "May I come with you, Professor Oak? Please...?"

Samuel nodded at her. "Everyone get some sleep. We can all meet up in the morning if you'd like."

That night, Aurea clung to the boy as he slept with the Gemini Ball held tightly in his hands.

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Again we have a short chapter, but within its few pages we have a lot going on: The Gemini Ball, the twin Charmanders with one being shiny, and Aurea Juniper's desire to take care of the boy as an adoptive mother of sorts. Many themes and ideas spawn from this small entry. Hit me up with a PM or comment below with your thoughts and questions. As always, I love to read and respond to them!


	7. Until We Meet Again

**Until We Meet Again**

The team of professors Oak, Rowan, and Birch, along with Aurea, stood in the lobby of the Viridian City Home for Children. Aurea was holding the boy's right hand, his left grasping the Gemini Ball, when she suddenly looked frantic and bolted out of the orphanage as quickly as she could. The remaining members of the team were left scratching their heads in confusion as to where she could have run off to.

"Perhaps dropping off the boy is too much for her. She's scarcely left his side since we first found him and they've become quite attached" offered Rowan.

Professor Oak looked saddened by this. He by no means wanted to separate the two of them, but the boy needed a real home, and Samuel was positive that someone would come and take him in before long.

Several moments later, a representative from the home came out. "Hello, sirs. Is this the newest addition to our home?" she inquired, gesturing to the boy.

Oak gently put his hands on the child's shoulders. "He is indeed. I hope you'll take great care of him and find him a home as soon as you can."

"We most certainly shall." The woman, dressed in an indigo suit with a white dress blouse, knelt down a few feet away from the boy. "We're going to take good care of you, young man."

After a few moments of silence, the woman turned to professor Oak. "Has he been through some sort of trauma? Why is he so quiet?"

"We assume he has been through some sort of an ordeal, but to what extent we are still unsure. Rest assured he's a very well-behaved boy; he just isn't used to these new surroundings." He looked down at the boy, with a warm smile. "Well, son, this looks like farewell for now. Before we leave you in the care of these nice people, we all have some going away presents for you." He reached into a duffle bag that was slung over his shoulder and pulled out a golden-yellow backpack with red lining and silver zippers. The pack was a bit large for the boy, but he smiled as the professor handed it to him. "This is from me. It's a little big for you right now, I know, but something tells me you'll have need of it in the future."

Next, Rowan reached into the bag and pulled out a small picture frame with a portrait in it. The photograph showed professors Oak, Rowan, Elm, and Birch, and Aurea with the boy in her arms, wide-eyed and smiling. It was the sole picture they had taken the day before, just prior to boarding their train. Rowan handed the boy the portrait, telling him, "This is from me, but you should think of it as being from all of us, to remember us all by." and he held it in his hands, staring at it. Birch then reached into his messenger bag slung over his left shoulder, and pulled out a pair of black, fingerless gloves and gave them to him. The child immediately put them on, despite being quite large on his hands, very apparently amused with how his fingers still showed as he wiggled them about in the air.

"Elm is very sorry that he could not be here today, but he wanted me to give you this," said Oak as he handed the boy a small, shiny, plastic card. "It's a Rail Pass, for the train that goes between Johto's Goldenrod City and Saffron City here in Kanto. This way, you can visit him someday when you're old enough to do so." The boy took the Rail Pass card and nodded understandingly.

"That's very kind of you all, to give such nice gifts to a boy you hardly knew. We'll be sure to take good care of them," assured the orphanage representative.

"If it's all the same to you, Miss, I would prefer that you allow the boy to hold onto all of his own belongings. That would go double for the Poké Ball he is carrying." said Professor Oak.

After a moment, the representative sighed and smiled. "Very well," she said, "I will personally see to it that it happens."

"Thank you." said Oak with a light nod.

"Of course, Professor. Well I guess it's time for him to come with me now." The representative reached into a bag and pulled out some legal documents. "I'll need whoever would be considered his primary guardian to sign a few of these papers, stating you're handing the care of the child over to the orphanage."

Oak, Rowan, and Birch looked at each other. Each of them was thinking the same thing: none of them would truly be considered the boy's guardian. They all knew that the boy's real guardian these past few days had been Aurea; no one else had spent as much time with him nor put so much thought and care into him. Just then the front doors to the orphanage flew open and Aurea, clutching a bag, hair a mess, and out of breath, burst into the lobby.

"Wait!" she exclaimed and stood up straight, walking over to the boy as she attempted to haphazardly fix her hair. She knelt down in front of the boy and reached into the bag she was carrying. "This is for you," she said as she pulled out a hat. The hat was almost all bright red, with the front above the brim being white with a sole green circle that was an emblem in Viridian on the bottom right-facing corner. "I know it's a little big for you right now…Well, maybe more than a little, but I'm hoping that you'll keep it long enough to be able to wear it when it fits, and to remember me by." She ran her fingers through his dark hair, ruffling it a bit before sticking the oversized hat on his head as tears started to well up in her eyes.

"We'll take good care of him, young lady," assured the representative," What is the boy's name? I will need to write it on the legal papers here before he is turned over into the home's custody."

The professors were silent. In the entire three days since finding the boy in the wilds of Johto, none of them had even given thought to what the boy's name was.

"Goodness," Oak said as he scratched his head, "We haven't the slightest idea. I don't think any of us have even thought about it."

"My name is Red," the boy said in little more than a whisper, with the first words he had spoken since being found. Oak, Rowan, and Birch were incredulous; none of them had heard a word out of the boy in the entire time he'd been in their company. They looked at one another, very visibly astounded and confused. After several moments, Professor Oak cleared his throat and spoke up.

"Red?" he said, turning to Aurea, "Did he tell you that or is that the name you came up with for him?" inquired Samuel.

"I gave it to him," replied Aurea, "It seemed appropriate, considering his crimson eyes, and he really seems to like it."

The orphanage representative nodded. "'Red' it is then. That is what I shall put on his papers." She filled in the necessary information on the documents and marked two lines for guardian signatures. "That's that, then; all I need now are two signatures - one from you, young lady, and one from you, Professor."

Professor Oak signed one of the lines and handed the clipboard over to Aurea. She held the papers tentatively, hesitating with the pen in her hand as she stared at the document that would sign the boy's care over to the orphanage.

"Aurea…"

"I know, Professor…I know." She quickly signed the papers and handed them back to the woman. Aurea looked down, Red clinging to her leg. She started to tear up again at the thought of letting him go.

Red started to speak, tears welling up in his eyes as well, "When will I see you again…?"

"I don't know, sweetie," Aurea replied as she knelt down and started to cry, "but I promise that you will."

The entire group felt heartbroken, but they knew that there was no other plausible way for him to have a good home right now. Aurea hugged him for a long time before the woman told them it was time for him to go. She put her hand gently on Red's shoulder as she took him into the orphanage proper and Aurea and the rest of the research team watched them go. Red turned his head once, to look back at the professors and Aurea and she stared back at his fiery crimson eyes until he was out of sight.

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

There's real heartbreak within the pages of this entry. Aurea truly wanted to be the one to take care of the boy we now know as Red, but alas it was not to be. All of the professors that were present gave Red a gift that meant something special to each of them, and in time Red will be able to use their parting gifts to accomplish great things. What are your thoughts on the gifts, Aurea's bittersweet goodbye to Red, her naming of Red, and what the future might hold for them? Comment below or shoot me a PM!


	8. Orphan with the Poke Ball

**The Orphan with the Poké Ball**

There was a gentle breeze blowing through Viridian City. Pidgeys and Spearow, guided by their elder Pidgeotto and Fearow leaders, were flocking everywhere with the arrival of the warmer, spring weather. The streets were bustling with people, both citizens and visitors from abroad, and children on their way to the renowned Viridian Trainer Academy, a school where young boys and girls all go to learn about Pokémon. The students, ranging in age from five to eleven years old, happily hurried to the school yard, anxious to learn more about Pokémon from their teachers who were equally anxious to give them more knowledge. Trainer School teachers were carefully picked from men and women who were all very knowledgeable trainers in their own right, and had a special passion and love for sharing their knowledge. Several blocks away and to the north of the academy sat the Viridian City Pokémon Gym, where young trainers from all over the country came to challenge the Gym Leader for an official Pokémon League Badge. That badge was a symbol of a trainer's bond with his or her Pokémon and their victory over the respective city's Gym Leader, as well as bragging rights. The goal of any trainer was to collect the eight gym badges from their region, allowing them to travel to Victory Road, a trainer's final obstacle before being able to challenge the Pokémon League's Elite Four. The Elite Four were a respective region's four strongest trainers, and conquering them gave trainers a chance at entering the Hall of Fame to have their Pokémon immortalized for all to see.

One young woman, her rich auburn hair blowing in the gentle breeze, walked the cobblestone walkway toward the front gate of the Viridian City Home for Children. She had to hold her large brimmed hat on her head as a sudden gust of wind caught her by surprise. She adjusted her blouse, skirt, and bag slung over her left shoulder, as she reached the entrance to the orphanage. Smiling as she reached the front desk of the orphanage lobby, the young woman leaned against the counter and lightly tapped the small bell to call a faculty member to the desk. The soft-pitched _DING_ of the bell was uncharacteristically pleasant to the ear, and seconds later a representative rounded the corner to greet her.

"Good morning, and welcome to the Viridian City Home for Children," she welcomed with a genuine smile, "How may I help you, ma'am?"

"Hello, my name is Deliah Knight; I'm interested in adopting and am scheduled to observe the children today." The young woman replied with a hint of nervousness in her voice.

The woman behind the counter entered some information on the computer in front of her, searching for confirmation of Deliah's appointment. After finding her name on the list of scheduled appointments for the day, she smiled and nodded then handed her a clipboard with sheet of paper on it. "Here you are, Mrs. Knight. If you would just sign in on this line here, and then fill out a little bit of information here we can begin the tour." She offered, using a pen to point to the various parts of the form.

Deliah carefully filled out the guest questionnaire and handed it back to the woman behind the desk. She glanced over the sheet to verify that it was filled out in its entirety. Satisfied with the sheet, she filed it away in a cabinet behind her. "Very good, Mrs. Knight, we may begin."

"Please, call me Deliah."

"Very well, Deliah, if you would follow me now. Would you like to start with the guided tour of our facilities, or see the children right away?"

Deliah laughed nervously. "I'm sorry; I've never done this before. Is there typically a preferred order?"

"Only whatever order you prefer," the woman offered, "Most guests are satisfied enough with the photographs of our facilities that they go straight to seeing the children, if that information helps at all."

"Alright then, I guess we can do that."

With a polite nod, the staff member led Deliah through an ornate, stained glass door that was adjacent to the front desk and down a long hallway that was littered with more doors for staff offices. The facilities were kept tidy and clearly well-funded as they had new, hardwood flooring and high quality furniture throughout the compound. Deliah glanced at a floor plan that was framed along one of the walls, and was shocked at how much larger the compound was than she had initially believed.

"Our facilities hold up to one hundred children, typically ranging in age from five to eleven or twelve. At a given time, we may have anywhere between twenty and sixty children staying here," explained the woman as she guided Deliah, "We try to find each child a good, caring home as quickly as possible, so as to avoid filling up our occupancy limit. However we intentionally have a surplus of available space in the event that we need to take in more orphaned children."

"What's the average turn-around for a child?" Deliah inquired.

"It's difficult to say for certain. Thankfully there are enough couples today who are either unable to conceive a child of their own, or would prefer to adopt, that most of our children are not here much longer than six months. We only have one orphan who has ever been here longer than a full calendar year, our very first in fact. He has been with us for coming on three years now." The staff member explained.

"Really? Why has he been here so long?" Deliah asked; a tone of pity in her voice.

The woman paused for a moment, thinking of how to describe the boy in question. "He's a very sweet boy, please don't get the wrong idea," she continued as she pushed open a set of large double-doors that led into the compound's inner courtyard, "He doesn't talk much, but he plays with the other children regularly and is always on good behavior when adults come to visit."

"He doesn't sound like a bad child at all; what about all of that would make so many adults pass him by?" asked Deliah.

They strolled through the courtyard, passing by dozens of children playing ball or on the playground. The receptionist stopped and gestured to a young boy sitting by himself up against a large, shady tree with several low-hanging branches. The boy had mid-length, dark hair, and wore a black t-shirt and an oversized red and white cap and the brim covered the top half of his face. He was holding a ball firmly in his hands and staring at it intently.

"From what little information we were given, he's been through a terrible ordeal. Many couples looking to adopt see that as a potential for him having a negative demeanor, even though he is probably the most respectful and sweetest child here when adults come around. There was one incident however, with another child..." said the woman.

Deliah watched the boy as the receptionist spoke, wondering what the boy's story was. The woman continued, "Just a few weeks after he was left in our care, another boy who was a couple of years older, and had also recently been taken in, took that ball you no doubt see him holding away from him and tried running away with it. The older boy must have expected for him to cry and beg for it back, but instead the child leaped at him, tackling him to the ground, and punched him squarely in the face, taking back the ball and running away to that very spot he's sitting in now."

"Oh my goodness! Was the other boy alright?" Deliah asked, concerned.

"The older boy was fine, with the exception of a black eye for the next several days. I had only just started working here at the time, and I was shocked at first when it happened. But when our president told me more about the boy, I understood his reaction. He's not a violent boy at all, but that ball is very special to him. It's actually a Poké Ball. Now under most ordinary circumstances, Pokémon are only permitted here on special days, and those happen to be the boy's favorite days of the month, but he was given special permission by the president to keep that Poké Ball with him. It was given to him by the people who took care of him before handing him over to our care."

An expression of pity and understanding came over Deliah's face. She took several steps in the direction of the child. "He must feel so lonely, always being passed by but never considered" she said sorrowfully.

The receptionist gave a sullen nod. "Truth be told, I've never seen any of the adults that have come through here, speak to him - not once. He always puts on a cheerful smile at meals or during monthly health check-ups, but I think he's come to terms with believing that no one will ever consider adopting him."

Deliah quickly wiped away the tears welling up from her eyes, "That's horrible," she exclaimed before walking over to the child sitting by the tree. As Deliah entered the shade of the tree, the boy looked up and Deliah noticed him put on a polite smile. Her heart ached from hearing her guide talk about him, but she returned the smile all the same as she knelt down in front of him, carefully folding her hands over her skirt.

"Hello there, young man," she greeted the boy as warmly as she genuinely could.

"Hello, ma'am," he replied. His voice was soft and emotionless; Deliah realized that after having been here for nearly three years that perhaps he didn't allow himself to get excited when adults came by, but he was sweet, just as she was told.

"You seem to have the right idea against this tree, with the sun shining as hot as it is today. Do you mind if I sit here in the shade with you?"

The boy quickly shifted over to allow Deliah to sit underneath the tree. She carefully sat down about a foot away from him, and looked up at the old tree's branches. "This is a very nice old tree. You picked a nice place to relax."

"Thank you, ma'am. Are you here to look at the children?" he asked.

Deliah held her hat in place as another gust of wind came and nearly blew it off of her head.

"Yes, yes I am. This is a very nice place." Deliah offered.

"It is. There are a lot of good children here too," the boy said as he pointed toward some of the children who were playing on the swings and kicking a soccer ball around along the grass. "James is really good at climbing; he's always swinging on the monkey bars. He even tried climbing my tree once, though that was a bad idea. Suzie is going to be a singer some day; she has the best voice of all the girls, and loves to dance around too. Andy wants to be a Pokémon Gym Leader someday which I think is really cool. And Riku would never admit it, but she's probably going to be one of the prettiest girls around when she grows up."

"I see," Deliah said as she listened to the boy describe several more of the children playing in the courtyard, "And what about you? What do you want to do when you get older?"

The boy straightened his posture and Deliah saw a wide grin come across his face, as though he was very proud of what he was about to say. He clutched the Poké Ball he had been holding firmly in his right hand and held it up towards the sky, rays of early afternoon sunshine piercing through the branches of the tree and catching his crimson eyes as he stared straight towards the light. Deliah was in awe of the hue of his eyes; she had never seen anything quite like them before.

"I am going to be the world's greatest Pokémon Master ever. I'll travel to every nation and defeat every gym leader and every Elite Four. I want to build the strongest bonds ever seen with Pokémon and meet every type of Pokémon in the world!"

Deliah smiled at him and chuckled. "That's quite the big dream. The life of a Pokémon trainer is difficult, at the very least, but it's also very rewarding if you stick with it. You think you can handle that sort of commitment?"

The boy looked at her through his crimson eyes, glimmering in the sunlight. He gave off an uncanny air of confidence, one she had not seen in a long time. She had seen less confidence from seasoned Pokémon trainers. _Who is this boy?_ She thought.

"Yes ma'am, I can and I will!" He said proudly.

"That's a great dream to shoot for. Don't ever give up on that."

"Never!" He grinned back.

Deliah was already growing to really like this boy; she couldn't understand why so many adults had simply passed him by without giving him a second thought. She held up her wrist to the sunlight to get a good look at her watch. The time allotted for her visiting appointment was almost up, but she didn't want to leave. She lightly tapped her finger against her lower lip, in deep thought. Out of the corner of her eye she glimpsed the woman from the front desk motioning to her. She sighed disappointedly then turned back to the boy. He was looking up at her quizzically.

"Unfortunately, my time here is up." Deliah said in a caring and calming voice.

"That's ok. Everyone has to go eventually. They only let grown-ups stay for a couple of hours at the most on scheduled visiting days." He stared up at Deliah for a few moments, shifting his weight a little. "Will I see you again?" he asked her, with just a hint of tentative hope in his voice. Deliah's heart jumped when she heard him ask this.

"Yes. Yes, you will." She said through a warm smile. Then she reached out and offered her hand to him. "I'd love to come by and see you again. I'm Deliah."

The boy shook her hand and smiled back, a glimmer of joy on his face. "My name is Red."

"It's lovely to meet you, Red."

"I'm glad to meet you too, ma'am." Red's eyes shone brightly in the rays of the sun as he looked up at Deliah.

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

After quite some time, it appears that Red has made a new friend in Deliah. It seems that she was deeply moved by the story she heard about him from the orphanage hand. How will their relationship play out and will Red maybe find a new home...? Red seems to have big plans for his future. His determination might not be enough to achieve his dreams right now though; he's going to need a helping hand to get started!

As I stated in a previous note, Child of Fire will have parallels to many different canons that have taken place within the Pokemon universe. Here we meet who might be considered a parallel to Ash's mother, Delia Ketchum. Deliah in this story is a lovely and proper young woman, and while she's very caring and loving, she's not quite as...air-headed per say...as her anime counterpart. The future certainly holds grand adventures! What do you guys think about Deliah and the story she was recounted? Give me your thoughts and questions!


	9. A New Family

**A New Family**

"Welcome back, Mrs. Knight," Said the smiling receptionist behind the front desk of the Viridian City orphanage, "Are you here for another tour appointment?"

Deliah strolled into the orphanage wearing a mid-length sun dress and her large brimmed hat. She carried with her a large, expensive looking bag over her shoulder. The day was exceptionally beautiful with barely a single cloud in the sky. "Yes I am, in fact. I'm here to go see Red again."

"You're back to see Red? That's very sweet of you, ma'am. No one ever really speaks to him; it's so nice to see you talking to him. This is at least the third or fourth time you've come to see him if I'm correct?"

"You're right. Well, this is the third intentional visit, but yes it is my fourth time seeing him. He's truly a wonderful boy."

"I'm glad someone else thinks so. Enjoy your stay, Deliah." The receptionist called back as Deliah headed out towards the courtyard. The sun burst through as Deliah opened the double-doors leading outside. She headed straight towards Red, sitting by up against his tree and playing with his Poké Ball and looking down at a book. He saw her coming, and Deliah noticed his face light up as she walked towards him.

"Good afternoon, Red. How are you doing today?" Deliah asked him, sitting down beside him as she smoothed out the folds in her dress.

"Hello, ma'am," Red replied, noticeably happier now that she had dropped by, "I'm ok; just relaxing here and reading."

"What book have you got there?"

"It's a combination history book and encyclopedia on Pokémon. Someone dropped it off and said it was for me. If I'm gonna be the world's greatest Pokémon master then I need to know everything I can. So I'm reading about any Pokémon history, mythology, and anything else I can find." Red said proudly and angled the large, old book so that Deliah could see it. She looked over the page that the book was open to and began reading the entries that were adjacent to the image of an ancient stone carving of a Pokémon with feline-like features and a long tail that ran more than the full length of its body. There was a caption beneath the image which read "The Phantom Pokémon".

 _Mew appears only to those who are pure of heart. Its magical powers can heal the sick and purify bitter hearts. So rare that it is still said to be a mirage, by many experts. Only a few people claim to have seen it worldwide. Because it is believed to be able to use any ability, there are many scientists who now speculate that it is the ancestor of all Pokémon. Mew is said to possess the genes of all Pokémon. It is capable of making itself invisible at will, so it entirely avoids notice even if it approaches people._

The entry was very short, and offered no real, scientific data - nothing more than theories based on ancient myths that had been passed down through generations by family members who claimed to have seen it. There were a few minor speculations about its height and weight, and educated guesses that it was a Pokémon of the psychic variety and preferred tropical climates for its habitat, based on the fact that nearly all supposed Mew sightings had occurred in such climates.

"A lot of people believe that this Pokémon is just a myth, you know. What makes you so interested in it, Red?" Deliah inquired curiously.

"Because I've seen it," replied Red in a tone that was so 'matter of fact' that Deliah was caught off-guard, "I can't remember when…or where, but I know I've seen it once before. No one believes me though; they just think I'm craving attention. Guess they don't figure that if I wanted that, I'd be running around all over the playground with them. I can't blame them though; it is a legend, but I know I've seen Mew." The look of determination in Red's fiery eyes was unmistakable; Deliah had seen that look before. The boy was much smarter than she had even expected and even though he struggled to pronounce some of the larger words of the book he was incredibly well spoken.

"Look at this one!," Red exclaimed as he turned to a page that he appeared to have had bookmarked, and pointed excitedly to the photograph of a large, deep orange, dragon-like Pokémon with a blazing flame on its tail-tip and impressive wings. Its claws and teeth looked razor sharp, and its twin horns at the back of its head gave off an impression of might and power. Deliah held the pages of the book down as a breeze blew through the orphanage courtyard. Her large-brimmed hat was caught by the gust and almost blown away, but Red gracefully leaped up, holding his own hat down with one hand, and caught it by the brim with the other before it could get past them. He sat back down beside Deliah, this time a little closer, and handed it back to her. "Here you are ma'am." he said as Deliah graciously smiled and ran her fingers through her hair before placing the hat firmly back on her head.

"Thank you very much, Red. You saved my favorite hat." Deliah saw the hint of pride at a good deed done, in Red's eyes as he grinned back at her.

"You're welcome, ma'am. I'm going to have a pair of those someday," he said proudly, turning his attention back to the picture they had been looking at, "They're going to be the strongest ever!"

Deliah nodded, but she was puzzled. She knew the Pokémon in question to be a Charizard, the final stage of the fire type Pokémon, Charmander. "Why a pair of Charizards, Red?" She inquired as she fixed her gaze on him.

"Because," Red offered as he picked up the unique Poké Ball off of the ground beside him and stood up, a glint of pride in his crimson eyes, and gently pressed the release button on the spherical capsule. Immediately a bright light shot out of the ball as it opened up, quickly splitting into two as a second later two Charmanders stood side by side in front of Red, tail-tips ablaze and each with eyes as intense as his own, "I have a pair of Charmanders!"

Deliah stood up, caught off guard by the sudden appearance of the, two Fire Type Pokémon which now stood before her. The two Charmanders were identical in height and overall size. The only difference she could see was that one of them had a different coloration to its body. While she knew Charmanders to be a rich, bright orange color all over, save for the underside of their stomach, this one was a bright, golden-yellow hue instead. The Charmanders were very small for their age, a good four or five inches shorter than they should be by her estimate and, while they did not appear to be starving, they did look malnourished. _Come to think of it, Red doesn't look like he's been eating adequately either,_ Deliah noted to herself, _That's definitely going to change._

The Charmanders stared at Deliah for several moments, periodically looking back at Red for a sign of sorts that the woman standing in front of them was friendly. When Red finally spoke up, he offered, "Guys, this is my friend, Mrs. Deliah Knight. She's been really nice visiting me. Ma'am, I'd like you to meet my brothers. The one on your right is Vulcan, and the golden one on your left is Ashgar."

Deliah wondered what the boy meant by 'brothers', but she didn't want to press the issue as it was of no immediate consequence to her. She smiled warmly and crouched down so that she was roughly eye-level with the two lizard-like Pokémon. "It's very nice to meet the both of you. I'm Deliah," she said. The Charmanders smiled back and trilled happily at the introduction to a new friend. Red seemed to be pleased with his Pokémon's positive reaction to Deliah. As Deliah held out her hands, gently stroking the top of their heads, Red inquired, "You seem to be really good with handling Pokémon, ma'am; when did that happen?"

Deliah smiled softly and looked back at the boy. "What feels like a lifetime ago now."

Red paused for a moment before following that with another question, "Ma'am…how come you always come here alone? It's always a husband and wife that come together to the facility. Where's your husband? Is he away on business?"

Deliah wondered if she should even be surprised by this boy anymore at this point. The boy's powers of perception were astounding; Deliah felt as though he could see right through her at that moment.

"Well, Red, I do have a husband, but he has been gone for a few years now."

"What do you mean, 'gone'?" the boy asked, a puzzled look on his face. He sat closer to Deliah and stared up at her, anticipating a lengthy tale.

"It's a long story, but I suppose there's time. Several springs ago a young man came into the country, arriving at the southern docks of Pallet Town. He was a brash young man, full of confidence, enthusiasm, and big dreams - much like you. He was also a little full of himself too, a little too much for his own good at the time. He came to Kanto from the south-west region of Hoenn, and he came from a well-to-do family there. He was a Pokémon trainer, and it was his dream to become the strongest trainer in his nation. But before he would allow himself to take the Pokémon League Challenge there, he had set sail for far-off regions to learn more about Pokémon and to become stronger, but vowed that he would return one day. The trainer's journey had brought him here, to Kanto because of our reputation for strong trainers, but more specifically to Pallet town as well because that is the home of the great Professor Oak, the world's foremost authority on Pokémon. At the time, I was studying under the professor as a research assistant, but I was also something of a trainer myself in those days. When the man arrived at the professor's lab, he was full of confidence in his abilities, but hungry for more knowledge. He demanded a battle with me, viewing it as a right of passage to be able to learn directly from Professor Oak himself. Unfortunately for him, the professor had trained me in Pokémon battling nearly as much as in research as he was at one point the strongest trainer around, without equal. The battle didn't last more than just a few minutes, and I defeated him handily. After the match he looked quite beaten, not only physically but also his pride. But he quickly regained his composure and said with a huge, goofy grin,

 _Hey, wow, that was a great match; you're really something! You should let me take you out to dinner!_

I have no idea why I accepted; it may have been out of some sense of wanting a prize for my effort, or the way he picked himself back up after he was defeated and not losing sight of his goal, or maybe it was just that he looked very handsome. Maybe I'll never know. What I do know is that one date led to another and we fell in love and eventually were married later that year."

As Deliah paused, Red offered, "That all sounds really great, but I'm not seeing a happily ever after look on your face."

"You're quite right, Red. For the next two years, he became an assistant under Professor Oak's tutelage. Together, we helped the professor make great discoveries in the world of Pokémon, even uncovering a new species, but while he made a great assistant, he was no career scientist. He longed for the thrill of Pokémon battles. We talked about it for a long time, and I knew that I couldn't change his mind; his heart was set on his dream. I wished him the best of luck on his quest and prayed for his safe return. For the first year, he sent me vid-mails when he reached a new town, or called on the phone where there was reception, but then I stopped hearing from him suddenly. There was supposedly a massive storm in the area in which he was traveling at the time; there were reports of dozens of people going missing. I still hope and pray that he someday finds his way home to me, but that was almost four years ago."

Red looked at Deliah with an empathetic sorrow. Mid day was over and the sun, while still well in the sky, was making its descent to the west. Red stood up and put his arms around Deliah's neck in a warm hug. "I'm sorry; I can tell how much you miss him. I promise you I'll find him when I go on my Pokémon journey."

Deliah started to cry, though whether the tears were joy or sadness she wasn't sure, but she knew one thing for certain: _this boy is coming home with me._ Several moments passed before she wiped the tears from her eyes and looked over at the boy, who was staring at her intently. She stood up, brushing herself off with a few gentle swipes to the folds of her dress before leaning forward and looking the boy in the eyes and offering with a smile, "Say, how would you like to come home with me, Red?"

Red's face lit up, equal parts joy and shock, as he stared blankly back at Deliah, unsure how to react to a situation he hadn't counted on actually happening to him. He felt his heart pounding so hard that it seemed as though it was going to beat a hole right through his ribs. It was several moments of barely breathing, heart-pounding, and shaking before he managed to vocalize the words he had been trying to get out, "Y-yes, please!"

Deliah's heart leaped with joy; she couldn't have imagined the magnitude of this moment, but she knew it was going to be life-changing. "I'm so glad that you will," she said, "I suppose I should go inform the receptionist and fill out whatever paperwork they will need me to sign for before they let me take you home, but I really hope we can just get it all done today." Deliah smiled once more at Red, with a smile that could only be described as 'motherly', and then briskly strolled back towards the front office.

Red watched Deliah walk out of the courtyard and back into the orphanage proper. The entire time he watched her, he kept thinking, _There goes my new mom…_ , He turned toward his two Charmander companions who were staring up at him quizzically. "We're going to be a part of a family now, guys…We...we have a home!" Vulcan and Ashgar both trilled happily, understanding Red's words and sharing in his joy as the three hugged each other. Red stood in the sun, soaking in its warmth as he waited for Mrs. Knight to come get him. As he waited, a few of the other children who had been playing in the courtyard came over to him, a boy and two girls. All of them were at least a couple of years younger than Red, except the boy appeared even younger. The little boy wore an ocean blue t-shirt with a white horizontal stripe across the abdomen, bright yellow cargo shorts, a baseball cap of a matching hue that he was wore turned backwards, and white sneakers; he was the first to speak up. "Heya Red. Who's that lady? She was here for a long time."

"Yeah, she was really pretty. What did she want?" chimed in the two girls.

Red smiled softly as he finally said it out loud to someone, "She's my new mom…" Saying it out loud to the other children felt cathartic and gave it a sense of reality, as he was beginning to worry that he had been dreaming the entire day up.

"No way!" The other children all gasped in surprise. Most of the kids in the orphanage knew that Red had been there longer than anyone else, and more than most of them combined at that. "That's so cool!" said the little boy, "I'm getting picked up this weekend by a couple who lives in Cherrygrove City in Johto."

"That's great Joey. I'm glad you were able to find a home so quickly." Red offered with a sincere smile. Just then one of the orphanage hands walked up along with Deliah, both had wide smiles and smiling eyes. Red and the other children looked up as they reached the shade of Red's tree. "Normally it can take anywhere from 3 days to a full week to get all of the necessary files sorted, but this is a special case," said the receptionist, "So you two may go home together today."

"Thank you so much, again," Deliah offered graciously, looking back down at her newly adopted son, "I hope it wasn't an inconvenience or will cause any problems. I just don't think I could bear to leave him here any longer than he's already been."

"It's no trouble at all, Mrs. Knight; I'm just as excited to see him finally find a home as you are. Grab your things, kiddo; you're getting out of here!" she said to Red with a great big smile across her face. Red, Vulcan, and Ashgar all looked at one another and then took a few steps closer to the trunk of the tree they had called home for the last three years. Red picked a stone up off of the ground and then started to carve letters into the white bark of the tree; as he did this, Vulcan and Ashgar, on either side of him, touched the very tips of the flames on their tails to the tree trunk, just enough to singe the bark. When the three of them stepped away, they revealed "Red" carved into the tree, with two distinct singe marks below it. Red smiled and nodded back at Deliah and the receptionist then turned to Vulcan and Ashgar and held up the Gemini Ball.

"Vulcan…Ashgar…return!" Red said happily, as the bright light shot from the ball capsule, enveloping the two Pokémon and bringing them once again back inside the Gemini Ball. Once his Charmanders were safely inside their ball, Red walked around behind the tree, followed by the others, and knelt down to pick up the golden yellow backpack he had received years ago. He slung it over his shoulders, checking both straps to make sure they were in proper alignment. It was beginning to fit him better, as was his hat. Once he had all of his belongings in order, he turned back to everyone else, the Gemini Ball gripped firmly in his right hand and his left hand clasping the matching strap of his pack.

Deliah had an adoring look on her face, "Well don't you look like a dashing young adventurer? C'mon Red. Let's go home." she offered with a smile as she held out her hand to him. Red took a few steps towards her and removed his hand from his pack's strap and clasped Deliah's as the two took their first steps together.

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Red finally has a new family and place to come home to! It seems that Deliah simply couldn't stand to leave the Viridian City Orphanage without him again. Did you catch the foreshadowing with one of the other small children that came over to Red before he left? He's in the top percentage of references! Child of Fire is going to be riddled with foreshadowing and fan service of that sort, so be on the lookout for more! Also, what ever became of Deliah's husband? Who is he really, and what significance will he hold in the future of the narrative? Send me your thoughts!


	10. The Hands of Fate

**The Hands of Fate**

"Welcome to your new home, Red!" Deliah said cheerfully as she stepped inside her modest, two-story home on the west end of Pallet Town. She flipped on the entryway light switch, the sun had gone down and dusk had fallen upon the region, and held the door open for Red as he took his first tentative steps inside his first home outside of the orphanage. He stepped a little further into the house, then frantically turned around, dropping his backpack on the floor, and took his shoes off.

"Sorry, I almost forgot to take them off. I wouldn't want to track dirt all over your floors." Red said apologetically.

"Red," Deliah replied reassuringly, "This is your home now, so they're your floors too. You don't have to worry about that, but thank you for being so considerate." She smiled and knelt down, picking up his shoes and opening up a closet door that was adjacent to the front door, setting them inside. "I know these are new surroundings for you, Red. Take your time to look around; I'd be happy to give you a guided tour."

"Thank you..." he paused, stopping himself mid-sentence. He almost said 'mom', but he couldn't do it out loud. _Not yet._ He told himself. _I need to earn that privilege._ "I would really like that."

Deliah led her new son from the entryway through the rest of the house, starting with the kitchen. The kitchen was large, for a smaller house, with an overhang which held a collection of variously sized pots, pans, and skillets. The appliances were all kept clean, matching the rest of the room - which was near spotless. When Red mentioned how clean it was, Deliah jokingly replied that it was easy to clean a kitchen when you're only cooking for one. While the rest of the lower floor was primarily wood flooring of an auburn color, the kitchen had a patterned tile that Red could feel was cold even through his socks. After the kitchen, she showed Red the main room, which had a seating area with a single large couch and a reclining chair. There was a large television mounted on the wall opposite of the front of the house, the largest that Red had ever seen; he recalled there only being a few small televisions at the orphanage that they used for weekly movie nights. After completing the tour of the lower floor, Deliah led Red up the staircase located in the front of the house, in between the kitchen and living room, to the second level of the house.

"Ok Red," she said, "the last stop is your room." The two ascended the stairs and turned the corner to the first door on the right hand side of the hallway. Deliah stopped in front of the closed door and motioned for Red to close his eyes. Tentatively, he closed them and then covered them with one hand. Then Deliah, holding his free hand in one of hers, and opening the door in front of them with the other, led him inside. She held her breath as they stepped inside the room; she had spent almost the entire time since her first visit getting the room prepared for him, having hoped and prayed that she was going to be able to take him home. After several steps inside the room she said, "You can open your eyes now."

Red didn't know what to expect when he opened his eyes; most certainly he didn't expect what he saw: the room was roughly 30 by 16 feet in dimension, with its four walls painted a rich red color. The room had an uncommon amount of open space, with nearly half of the room, on the closet side, being free of anything except a single large throw-rug in the image of a Pokémon Battle Stadium. Noticing Red's reaction to the open space and the stylized rug occupying it, Deliah commented on it. "I think that you, Vulcan, and Ashgar could use the extra space." Red was very grateful for this.

In the far corner of the room, adjacent to the window, was a large, queen-size, captain's style bed with an oak frame and boards on either end. The captain's bed sat higher than a normal bed would, with the mattress sitting atop several drawers for clothes, this was typically done to conserve space in smaller rooms. The white sheets smelled freshly washed and spread out neatly on the mattress. On top of the bed, against the headboard and wedged against the corner of the walls, lay a massive pillow version of a Snorlax - a very large Pokémon of the Normal Type variety, that was nearly all black with an off-white underbelly and face and was widely known for eating and sleeping all day long. At the foot of the bed lay three more Pokémon pillows; one, which Red recognized right away, was a Charmander, and the others he knew to be a Bulbasaur, a rare Grass/Poison Type Pokémon that was reptilian with a large bulb on its back, commonly given to select new trainers in the Kanto region, and a Squirtle, a small blue tortoise Pokémon of the Water variety; it too was an uncommon species that a few lucky new trainers received each year. Red's eyes widened at the display; he had never owned toys of any kind, but he recalled many of the children at the orphanage possessing many various Pokémon-themed toys and pillows, many of which had been donated to the facility to give to the children on holidays or birthdays. He remembered one of the lucky children had been given a large Pokémon pillow, like his Snorlax, that was of a water type Pokémon from a far off tropical region. _Wailmer, from Hoenn, I think it was_ , Red thought to himself. He returned his attention to his new room. In the corner opposite of the bed and window was a simple oak desk with a few drawers and shelves; to the right of that was a large bookshelf of the same make with a small collection of books resting on it. Red walked over to the piece and pulled one of the books off of the shelf. It read, _The Trainer's Journey_ by Prof. Samuel Oak; he flipped through the first few pages, his eyes wide with excitement, before closing it and placing it neatly back where it had been. He then pulled down another book, which appeared very much like a journal, with its spiral binding, brown leather cover, and slightly tattered pages. Turning the first couple of pages, he realized that it was in fact a journal; there were no signs of any signatures or initials to give him an idea of who wrote it, so he promptly shut the journal and replaced it in his hands with a hardcover volume bearing violet binding. The dust jacket read, _The Bond Between People and Pokémon_ by Deliah Knight, with preface by Prof. Samuel Oak. Opening the book up to the inside back cover he saw a small, smiling portrait of his new mother. Red looked back at Deliah with an excitedly inquisitive expression. Deliah smiled and knelt down on the oak wood floor, and placed her hand on the book Red was holding.

"I wrote that what seems like forever ago, after I had been studying under and researching with Professor Oak for some time. I'll never forget the feeling of pride that came over me when he offered to preface it for me. The look of pride in his own eyes made it all the better. Professor Oak always did tell me that I should go on to teach at an academy, or go into the research field like him; he told me I would excel at either."

"Why didn't you?" Red inquired.

"That's a good question, Red. Why didn't I? Hmmm…Perhaps I wanted to settle down and have a family; in order to do that I had to put my own ambitions and dreams on hold. Then, when my one love went missing…I don't know. Maybe I lost the fire."

Red scowled. He knew that there was nothing that could ever stop him from chasing after his dream of becoming the greatest Pokémon Trainer in history, and he didn't like the sound of his mom giving up on something she loved and was good at. Deliah watched him sort things out in his head for several moments before he spoke up.

"That settles it then." He said at last.

"What settles what, Red?" Deliah asked with curious amusement.

"You will be my teacher." He proclaimed.

"Me? Red, I'd love to, but I've never taught before; I've only ever been a student."

"That's perfect, then. I heard someone say the best teacher is a student!" Red grinned wide, and his crimson eyes smiled along with the rest of his face. It was captivating, entrancing, and it seemed to spark a fire somewhere deep inside Deliah.

"Alright, you've got it!" Deliah announced as she stood up proudly. She stifled her tears of joy as she looked down on the smiling Red. She could think of no better thing to bond with her son over than their shared greatest passion: Pokémon. "Are you hungry for some dinner? I can fix something for us if you'd like."

Red pondered a moment as he pressed the palm of his hand to his stomach and felt a low rumble coming from within. "Yes please." He said with a nervous laugh.

Professor Oak let out a heavy sigh as his assistants all left his lab for the evening. As the last one exited the large lab on the southern cape of Pallet Town, the professor closed and locked the door behind him. Turning back to his lab, which still required a bit of tidying up, the professor began to sort through any loose papers he found on the desks and file them away appropriately. He was just a few minutes into this task when he heard his lab phone ring. He casually walked over to the receiver, tired from a long day's work, and placed it against his right ear, holding it in place with his shoulder as he continued his prior business.

"Pallet Pokémon Lab; this is Professor Oak speaking."

"Good evening, professor; my apologies for calling so late in the evening. This is the Viridian City Orphanage." The woman on the other end of the line said.

"Ah, hello, what can I do for you this evening?" the professor cheerfully asked.

"Nothing at all, professor. I'm calling because you requested that you be notified when the young boy you left in our care was taken in by a new family," she offered.

"Why yes, yes I did. Has he been?" asked Professor Oak, beginning to feel an anxious excitement.

The woman continued, "Yes, he has been - today in fact. A young woman from Pallet Town adopted him late this afternoon. She had come to look at the children before and had become quite taken with the boy. She visited multiple times and by the end of the afternoon today she was rushing to fill out the paperwork and take him home with her as soon as she could. The young woman seemed very charming and caring, and quite motherly despite not ever having had any children of her own."

"That's great news! Thank you very much for the update. This will definitely allow me to sleep better; I was beginning to worry if that little incident three years ago really had hampered his chances of getting adopted by anyone after all. Three years is a long time to live in an orphanage, even one with facilities as complementary as yours." The professor beamed.

The orphanage representative concurred with Oak, "No, I understand entirely; the boy deserved to be in a real home. The woman who picked Red up today was a Mrs. Deliah Knight."

When he heard the name, the professor brimmed wide with a giddy sort of grin. He hadn't anticipated his own former graduate to be the one who would adopt Red, but the idea of it seemed so perfect that it fell just short of being unbelievable. With all that he had seen so far in his lifetime, however, Samuel Oak knew better than to doubt a miracle. With that, he thanked the woman on the line again and hung up the phone. He went back to his cleaning, which didn't take him much longer, and then sat down at his desk, quickly browsing through any new e-mails he had received and responding to any that couldn't wait until morning. He was about to log out of his computer when he got a second thought; quickly pulling up his e-mail again, he began composing a new document:

 **From:**

 **To:** rowan_lab , , .lab , juniper_research

 **Subject:** The Child of Fire

 **Document:**

My dear friends and colleagues,

Three years ago, we all journeyed to the Silver Mountain Range together in search of knowledge and adventure; what we found instead was a mystery that could very well go far beyond what any of us could hope to comprehend - at least at the present. That mystery came in the form of a young boy, whom we all know to be 'Red'. As difficult as it was to do, some more so than others, we decided that it was in the boy's best interest to leave him in the care of the Viridian City Orphanage here in Kanto. I am writing this message to inform all of you who shared in this mystery with me that a representative from the orphanage has just called to inform me that Red now has a new home and mother who will take utmost care of him.

The young woman, much to my surprise as fate's plan for things tends to be, is a former graduate and research assistant of mine, Deliah Knight (you may recall her remarkable work _The Bond Between People and Pokémon_ ). This was unexpected for me, but I believe that I am beginning to see the threads of fate in all of this. I see no coincidence in the boy being found, along with the two infant Pokémon, by us five Pokémon researchers from five different regions. For him now to be adopted by a former apprentice of mine who herself was a brilliant researcher and trainer as well, this tells me that Red has the word 'destiny' written all over him. I know you'll all agree with me in this as we've had many talks together over the nature of this incredible world we live in and a plan for everything. With that I ask this of each of you: I know that someday this boy we found is going to start a journey of his own. It is clear that he is destined to do great things, and apart from that he'll be searching for answers to mysteries of his own. I ask that when he comes to each of you, whenever that time comes, that you aid him however you can. I too will do the best I am able. As I speak, I am working on plans for incredible new tools as likely you all are as well. I'm sure you're all just as excited as I am to see what lies ahead for our young charge, so let's each of us put our best foot forward and strap on our lab coats; I think we're in for one wild adventure in the years to come.

\- Prof. Oak

With that, Oak sent out his notice to his colleagues and logged off of his computer. He stood up and turned his attention to a large set of blueprints that were labeled: Electronic Encyclopedia spread across one of the laboratory's tables. He smoothed them out with his flattened hands and stared at them for several moments. He made a few quick notes in the upper left hand corner of the designs, copying the notes into a pocket-sized notebook which he then slipped into his lab coat pocket, and then stacked them neatly to the side as a priority item. Done for the night, the professor shut off the lights as he exited his lab. Placing his hands inside of his coat pockets, he said aloud to himself as he looked up at the starry night sky.

"Deliah, huh? What sort of adventure does fate have in store for the two of you?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Red finally has a room to call his own! It seems quite reminiscent of the protagonists' rooms from the video game franchise does it not? I must say I'm fairly envious of Red; I've always wanted a life-size Snorlax plush and he's pretty lucky to have one. I suppose that he's been through enough in his life so far that he deserves some simple luxuries. I hope that you've enjoyed the story thus far, and on that note I hope that you've enjoyed the easy pacing of the narrative as well, because consider the story up to this point an extended prologue of sorts. Starting next chapter, we're off to the races with a quickened pace, more parallels, thrills, fan service (not THAT kind), and PokeTheories galore! Red's Indigo League Journey is about to begin...


	11. Journey's Start

**Journey's Start**

Deliah gently opened the bedroom door in front of her, briskly strode to the window and pulled back the curtains, allowing the early morning sun's rays to pour into the room. She opened the window itself and inhaled the fresh, spring air. The sky was nearly cloudless and, on a day as important as this, that was great news. Deliah smiled; it was only a few minutes past 7 o'clock in the morning, but today was a special day and her son needed to get up earlier than she knew he typically liked. She picked up the Poké Ball that rested on the nightstand beside the bed and with a _click_ , hit the release button. Shooting out of the capsule in a flash and display of bright light, came the two Charmanders, who, comparatively with when she had first seen them, looked infinitely healthier. The flames on the tips of their tails, the signs of a Charmander's life force, burned bright and hot, and they had intense, gleaming, blue eyes to match. The fire Pokémon both trilled happily as they stretched and rolled across the stadium-themed rug spread across the floor.

"Good morning, you two. You ready for some breakfast for your big day? I've got it ready downstairs; c'mon and you can eat it all before Red even gets out of bed." Deliah teased.

"I'm up," said a muffled voice from the bed.

"You could barely be considered awake, let alone up, Red. I thought you'd been looking forward to this day for, what was it? Nearly eight years?" Deliah said, laughing at her groggy son.

"I'm up." He said again.

"If you're up, then I'm a Mankey. If you ask me, you're a Drowzee right now."

"If you're a Mankey and I'm a Drowzee, then I win. Psychic trumps Fighting types." Red said with a snicker. "I told myself I'd spring out of bed at 7:15 A.M."

"It is 7:15, honey."

Red threw back the covers on his bed and sprung up to his feet on the floor with an agile, fluid motion. He looked out the window and took in the fresh morning air. He turned to his mother and his Pokémon. "Good morning, everyone! Time for breakfast!" With that, the two Charmanders rushed out of the room and sped down the stairs towards to the kitchen. "Good morning, mom," Red said as he gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Good morning, kiddo. Now get down there and eat." She said as she pushed him out into the hall. She smiled; she knew how much he had been anticipating this day, he'd probably been dreaming of it every day for the last eight years, the day when he finally goes to the other end of town to see Professor Oak and start his journey as a Pokémon trainer. She knew that this journey was important to him and she was happy knowing that he was finally getting to start it, but she also knew that life as a Pokémon trainer was far from easy; it held many potential dangers and disappointments, but most of all, she knew that it meant that the times she would see her son would likely be few and far between for a while. He had told her that he would wait until the spring after he turned eighteen years of age before he would leave on his quest to become the "Ultimate Pokémon Master," and he had honored that promise without complaints of any kind. She had tried her best to instill him with as much of her knowledge as she could. Days of study, consisting of reading, writing, weather patterns and, of course teaching him as much as she could about Pokémon, had littered their last several years together. She also helped him train for Pokémon battles over the last few years, not only to help prepare him for success, but also to strengthen Vulcan and Ashgar, his two Charmanders. She had told them that they were to all watch over each other and had asked them to keep her son safe. That, along with a healthy diet, was how they went from being the frailest and most unhealthy-looking Charmanders she had ever seen, to the strongest and healthiest. It was all she could do to help Red on his journey; she would help in any way she was able.

Downstairs in the kitchen, Red sat at the table finishing breakfast. The aroma of maple syrup and butter over blueberry-stuffed pancakes wafted through the house as Red, Vulcan, and Ashgar all sat at the table, stuffing their mouths with the fluffy, golden meal. As Red wiped a napkin across his mouth and got up to put away his dishes, Deliah strolled to the table carrying a medium sized, gift-wrapped box that was sealed with a large, shiny red ribbon, in her hands. "I have something for you, before you go, Red. I know that you're almost a young adult now, but I want you to have something that will let you always know that I'm with you on your journey to great places. Go on," she said as she handed the box to Red, "open it."

Red held the box in his hands for a moment, taking in the sentimental value of what would be inside of it, before setting it down on top of the table and untying the elaborate ribbon first. Vulcan and Ashgar both hopped up onto the table and sat on either side of the box, curiously watching and waving their flame - tipped tails back and forth as they waited to see what was inside. Lifting the top off of the box and setting it aside, Red then gently pushed aside the wrapping paper that lined the inside of the box and pulled out a red, short-sleeved, collared shirt. The shirt's sleeves and collar were white while the rest of the body was a red that matched the hat on his head. On the back of the shirt, there was a bold white, circular outline as well. Red smiled and wrapped his arms around Deliah in a big hug. "Thanks mom; I love it."

"I knew you would, honey. I'll finish up with these last few dishes; you three hurry up and get ready, and make sure that your bag is packed properly." Deliah encouraged as she motioned Red to get going. She wanted Red to hurry and start his journey to becoming a Pokémon Master, not because she wanted him to leave home, but rather because the sooner he started his journey, the sooner he would come home to her.

Upstairs in his room, Red slipped his hands into the pair of black, fingerless gloves he'd received long ago, and placed a few last minute items into his bag. Then he held up the collared shirt his mother had just given to him and smiled. He gently flung it up into the air and gracefully spun around, slipping his arms through the sleeves as it fell in one fluid motion.

"Nice! Mom sure knows how to pick 'em doesn't she, guys?" Vulcan and Ashgar nodded happily, clearly liking the shirt as well. It fit perfectly on Red's slender, youthful frame.

Lastly he went over to his desk and turned on his personal computer. On the drop-down menu, he logged into "Red's PC" and clicked the option "ITEMS," after which he selected "Potion" and then right-clicked and selected "Withdraw Item". Seconds later the connected small, matter transporter machine on his desk flashed and a small, purple and light blue spray bottle materialized on the matter port. The back of the bottle read: _When a PokéCenter isn't near, PokéMart CO. has your health right here! Healing on the go, from PokéMart CO._ Satisfied, he picked it up and slid it into a pocket in his bag-the very same golden yellow backpack he had received from Professor Oak himself all those years ago, right before he was left in the care of the orphanage. Vulcan and Ashgar watched him in wide-eyed anticipation; they were ready to start their journey. Red turned to face them and held up the Gemini Ball. "Alright guys! Let's go see Professor Oak!" he said excitedly as the two Charmanders trilled with him, feeding off of his excitement. Red pressed down on the Gemini Ball's release button with a _click_. "Vulcan…Ashgar…return!" With a flash of light, the two Fire Type Pokémon were nested cozily back inside their ball and the capsule shrunk itself down to carrying size, about the size of a golf ball, for easier transport. Red attached the ball to the magnetic belt around his jeans, grabbed his pack by one of the straps and rushed out of his room and down the stairs. Deliah was waiting by the front door for him to see him off.

"You have everything you need, Red?" she asked, and smiled when she saw him come down the stairs wearing the new shirt. "You look very handsome, son."

"Yes mom! Thanks mom!" Red said with the same high energy a ten year old child would have when starting their Pokémon journey. He set his bag by the door and gave Deliah another hug and a kiss on the cheek. "I'll be back for that; I just don't want it weighing me down while I'm running over to Professor Oak's lab.

Deliah looked surprised and it was apparent in her voice as well, "Oh, you're coming back?"

"Of course!" Red exclaimed. "I'm going to want to show you what Pokémon I choose at the lab, so I figure I'll grab my bag when I do that."

"That sounds perfect, Red. Now hurry! You don't want all of the Pokémon to be gone!" Deliah said as she gave him a half hug and shoved him out the front door.

"I'll be back in a flash!" Red called out as he ran down the road, holding his cap on his head with his left hand and waving his arm back at her with his right.

Deliah watched him run until he was no longer in sight, after which she went back inside and closed the screen door while keeping the main door open so as to let the fresh spring air through the house. She sighed and smiled all at once; she wasn't quite sure how to feel just yet. After all, her son, her whole life for the past eight years, was about to leave on an adventure all on his own and she had no way to know when or if she'd ever see him again. Despite the uncertainty, she knew that he had a fire in his spirit and nothing could hold him back from achieving his dream, and she certainly wasn't going to be the one to hold him back. She already felt guilty over him having promised to put his dreams on hold for nearly eight whole years just to be with her instead. Deliah shook off her doubts and fears. "Red would never forgive me if gave into those." She said to herself as she looked down at his bag sitting on the floor. "Let's see what you've packed." She unzipped the small compartment on the left, front-facing side. She reached inside; the pocket wasn't filled with much. All she could pull out was a single bottle of Potion. The small, purple bottle was a common remedy for restoring a Pokémon's energy lost in battle or from other means, and every prepared Pokémon Trainer knew that there weren't Pokémon Center clinics every ten feet so having travel med kits was vital to a journey. Deliah slid the bottle back into the pocket, zipped it closed, and then proceeded to look through the next compartment. Opening the right, front-facing pocket, she looked inside and found nothing there. "Hmmm…if I know my Red, he probably plans to store Poké Balls in this one." She zipped it shut and then moved on to the main storage space of the pack. Unzipping the large compartment, she found several things inside; first of which was an object that was mostly rectangular in shape and had a golden yellow metallic sheen to it, with a single red stripe in the center and a small button slightly off-center of that. She pressed the button and the object split in half, opening up from the center to reveal a holographic interface that was a map of the Kanto region. "That's my Red; you can never go wrong with having one of these on you. I'm glad he doesn't see himself as above needing a map to find his way." Deliah pressed the button again and the device slid back together with a soft _click_. She gently placed it back inside the pocket; when she did this she noticed what appeared to be a couple of small books inside the compartment as well. Pulling one out, she smiled when she read _The Trainer's Journey_ by Prof. Samuel Oak on the front cover. "Now that is impressive, son. I'm proud of you for having the foresight to bring something like this along on your journey if ever you should find yourself in a situation that you are unsure of what to do. She slid the book carefully back into the bag and then paused when she saw a spiral-bound notebook jacketed in violet. "It can't be…Why would he…?" Hesitantly, Deliah lifted the notebook out of the bag and held it in both of her hands. She dropped to her knees on the floor when she saw the title as she pressed the book to her chest and began to tear up. "Red…" she sniffled, "I love you, son. And I will always be with you."

Pallet Town had been bustling with people on the road and sidewalks. This day came once every year, when young boys and girls in Kanto who had just turned age ten went to see Professor Oak and start their journeys as young, aspiring Pokémon trainers. Lucky few of those young boys and girls got to receive one of three special 'starter' Pokémon from the professor himself. Everyone in Kanto knew those three Pokémon to be: the Grass and Poison Type Bulbasaur, the Fire Type Charmander, and the Water Type Squirtle. Each of the three had their own strengths and weaknesses, advantages and disadvantages, and each trainer-to-be had to put a lot of thought into which Pokémon they would choose to be their first partner on their adventure through the world. Red walked up the cobblestone walkway, feeling some of the loose pieces of gravel and stone crunch beneath his sneakers as he passed by a large wooden sign that read "Oak Research Lab". Entering through the large, glass double-doors he saw men and women in lab coats busy at a myriad of various tasks. Some were leaning over desks or tables and making notes on large sheets of paper. Some stood huddled around something which Red couldn't quite make out at first, but as he got closer he saw that it was in fact a Pokémon. The Pokémon was rather tall, about one head height shorter than Red was. It had a star-shaped head and a pair of long whiskers that reached almost to the ground. The Pokémon was hunched over and had a yellow pigment to its skin, and held a silver spoon in each hand. Red could faintly hear it making a sound over the noise of the scientists. _Kazam!_ He heard it say. And it was then that he realized what the Pokémon was, an Alakazam. Alakazam was the final stage of the Psychic Type Pokémon Abra, and was said to have a brain as powerful as any known supercomputer.

Red knew that he was bound to see Pokémon at the lab, but he was excited to have seen such a powerful and uncommon Pokémon already. He continued through the lab's main floor until he saw an elderly man at the back end of the lab. The man wore a lab coat like everyone else in the building, khaki pants, and a dark red collared shirt. His hair was a graying brown on top and darker near the sideburns. Red was certain that the man was Professor Samuel Oak, one of the world's leading Pokémon researchers and the Kanto region's foremost authority on Pokémon. As Red approached, the professor noticed his presence and turned to face him with a smile. "Good morning to you, young man!" Professor Oak welcomed Red cheerily. When Red came to a stop a few feet away from him, he and the professor shared a moment of silence, a sort of recognition that they had met before. In his mind, Red saw flashes of being cold, starving, and curled up inside a cave, while outside the rain beat against the side of the mountain. The warm, smiling face of a middle-aged man was beaming down at him. Then he was handing a crude drawing to the same man, his face slightly shadowed. Then he was receiving the very backpack that he now had waiting by the front door at home, and saying goodbyes. When his mind returned to the present he started to open his mouth to say something, but the professor cut him off before he could utter a word as he offered his hand to Red.

"You don't have to say anything, young man; I know who you are and why you've come today. You no doubt recognize my face beyond having simply seen it on television or the inside of a book. We met long ago, but have never been formally introduced, so please allow me: my name is Samuel Oak, but most people seem to more affectionately refer to me as 'The Pokémon Professor'. As you already know, this world in which we live is filled with creatures we call 'Pokémon'. Sometimes we play together. Sometimes we work together. And some people build stronger bonds with their Pokémon through battles. I myself used to be a Pokémon trainer when I was younger, though, like you, I did not begin my Pokémon journey until I was nearly an adult. Now I help young aspiring Pokémon trainers begin their own journeys."

As Professor Oak welcomed him to the lab, Red heard a ruckus as a young man, possibly the same age as himself, stormed into the lab. The boy's light brown hair was spiked high and messy, and he wore an indigo turtleneck sweater, black slacks, and brown leather boots. He also wore a pendent on a long necklace around his neck. The boy walked with an air of cold confidence and had a cocky smirk across his face. "Blue? What are you doing here already?" asked Oak. "Red, this is my grandson, Blue. He's been a trainer since he was a young boy. Blue, this is Red." Red held out his hand, but before he could introduce himself, the boy blurted out in an annoyed tone, "Gramps! I'm fed up with waiting!"

Professor Oak appeared distraught over the sudden and abrasive appearance of the boy. "I told you to come by later…Ah, no matter. Just wait there. Red, to your left on the table over here are three Poké Balls," Professor Oak offered, his normal cheer returning to his voice. "In my younger years, I was a serious Pokémon trainer, but now in my old age I only have a handful left. You may have one of these three; go on, choose!"

"Hey gramps, what about me?" Blue pressed in an annoyed tone.

"Be patient!" insisted the professor, "You can have one too."

Red turned, looking at the table and peered closer at the Poké Balls that rested inside an open glass case lined with a dark red velvet cloth. His decision had come down to two Pokémon: the plant, Grass/Poison Type Bulbasaur, and the tortoise, Water Type Squirtle. Since the third choice of a starter Pokémon was a Charmander, and Red already had two, there was really little point in considering a third. He stared through the red, slightly translucent top half of one of the Poké Balls and looked into the eyes of the small, blue, tortoise Pokémon, Squirtle. Its violet eyes stared back at him, and it smiled in a friendly way, but the water type's expression also held an undertone that said _I'm waiting for someone else_. Red smiled and nodded in understanding. He turned his eyes to the Poké Ball on the far left and leaned over for a closer look. Inside the spherical capsule nestled a chubby, quadrupedal, reptilian creature with a grass green hide and darker green spots scattered over its body; the most notable physical feature of Bulbasaur however was the signature large, green bulb on its back which it used to absorb sunlight for nutrients and energy. Its eyes were a rich shade of ruby red and gleamed intensely back at Red's own crimson irises. Red could feel as if the Pokémon and he were breathing in sync and he felt at an odd peace. He reached out and gently rested his hand on top of the Poké Ball and closed his eyes and could feel the subtle vibrations of the Pokémon's heartbeat.

"You're the one, Bulbasaur." He said at last, as he picked up the capsule that housed the Grass Type starter Pokémon and held it a few inches from his face. He smiled and saw the Bulbasaur smile back at him with a wide, elated grin.

"So Red, you want the Grass Type Pokémon, Bulbasaur? Go ahead; it's yours! That Pokémon is really energetic! As you are well aware, if a wild Pokémon appears on your journey, your Pokémon can battle against it and you can then try and capture it in another Poké Ball, thus expanding your trove of companions. The life of a Pokémon trainer is anything but easy, but it is also the most rewarding because you get the chance to bond with so many Pokémon!" The Professor offered.

"Humph!" Blue snorted, "I'll take this one then!" he announced as he stomped past Red and grabbed the Poké Ball that had been the center of the three. Red knew what it was: a Charmander, the very same bipedal, Fire Type reptile that Red had two of as practically brothers for the last decade. He nodded in courtesy at Blue as he turned to leave.

"Wait, Red," he heard Blue say in a cocky tone. He turned to see Blue with that same smirk of cold confidence on his face and lightly tossing his Poké Ball a few feet into the air and letting it land back in his palm repeatedly. "Let's check out our new Pokémon. C'mon, I'll take you on! Charmander…GO!" he shouted as he clicked the Poké Ball's release button and, in a flash of light, his Charmander shot out of the ball. It bounced its weight back and forth and side to side, showing that it was energetic and battle ready, as its tail tip burned bright and small puffs of smoke emitted from its nostrils.

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Red's Pokemon journey through the Kanto Region's Indigo League has officially begun! What are your thoughts? What caught you by surprise? Were you shocked that Red chose Bulbasaur and were you mad that he didn't choose a different starter? A trio of Charmanders would have certainly been something else, but I actually have good reasoning for that not being the way things went. What are your guys favorite starter Pokemon, and which one was your first? My starter was Charmander, way back in 1998, and I've been a #FireStarter for life ever since. Get reay for Red's first Pokemon battle next time on Dragon Ball...wait...sorry wrong story...on Child of Fire!


	12. Battle! A Rivalry Begins!

**Battle! A Rivalry Begins!**

"Oh for Pete's sake…So pushy, as always," sighed Professor Oak, "Red, you've probably never had a Pokémon battle before have you? Pokémon battles occur when trainers pit their Pokémon against one another. The trainer who makes their opponent's Pokémon faint in battle is the victor. But, rather than talking about it, you'll learn more from experience. Go on and try it for yourself!" he encouraged.

Red looked at his new companion through the Poké Ball. "You want to give it a shot, buddy?" he asked the Bulbasaur. The Pokémon nodded quickly back in response. "Alright then," he said as wound his arm back, "Bulbasaur…GO!" and gracefully tossed the Poké Ball out several feet in front of him. As the capsule hit the lab's cold, tile floor the ball glowed for the first time as light quickly shot out of it and Bulbasaur stood with a grin across its wide face.

"Heh, my Pokémon looks a lot stronger than yours, Red," mocked Blue at the sight of the small, Grass Type, "Let's see if it can stack up."

Red was no fool, he knew right away that he was at a disadvantage right from the start. It was common knowledge to all Pokémon trainers that Fire trumps Grass. Not only that, but Charmander was typically significantly more agile than Bulbasaur. Red, while not having ever actually seen or used the Grass starter in a battle before, was able to make his first few assumptions based on the Pokémon's physiology. This battle would not be won by speed, but rather by careful movements and timed counterattacks. Red had to assume that his opponent would get complacent from knowing he held a significant type and speed advantage already. The only advantage that Red had was that he was already quite the expert when it came to Charmanders, so he could at least hope to predict what sort of moves and tactics Blue would throw at him. The laboratory staff stopped whatever projects and research that they were working on and started to gather around to watch the battle unfold, after all, it wasn't every day that they got to witness two fresh new trainers have a Pokémon battle right there in the middle of the lab. Red's focus was entirely on his first real Pokémon battle however. He stared intensely at Blue's Charmander, trying to get a feel for what its first move would be. Bulbasaur calmly swayed from side to side, awaiting its first order in battle; Charmander, on the other end of the room, did the same, though it bounced around with a higher energy.

Blue took it upon himself to make the first move, "Charmander, use Scratch!" The Charmander sprang forward, quickly closing the gap between the two young Pokémon as its small, clawed feet tore across the white tile floor. Bulbasaur braced itself, and its eyes narrowed as it focused on the charging Fire Type, ready for action and intent on impressing its new trainer. Red waited a second for the right moment before shouting out, "Bulbasaur strafe to the right…now!" When Charmander was still a few feet away, Bulbasaur lifted its right fore and hind legs and hopped to the same side just as the Charmander's front claws passed by the space Bulbasaur had just occupied. He had to time his movements due to the huge speed barrier between the two Pokémon, so he had to dodge earlier than he would if he was using a more agile Pokémon and attack where his opponent was going to be, if it was moving, in order to connect with an attack. A direct attack was useless under normal circumstances here. The Charmander looked surprised when its attack whiffed, and its trainer shared the expression. Quickly recovering, Blue repeated the order, "Charmander, Scratch again!" This time there wasn't any time to dodge, and the Charmander's sharp claws on the end of its short forearms swiped cleanly at Red's Bulbasaur who was just barely resetting itself from its dodge. The attack connected, sending Bulbasaur reeling backwards. Blue wasted no time with his new opening, and pressed the offensive. "Charmander, use Growl!" The Fire Type lizard opened its mouth wide and emitted a loud, high pitched, shriek from its gaping maw. Bulbasaur cringed when the sound waves hit it head on. Bulbasaurs had large ears and were sensitive to high pitched sounds. Red cringed too when he saw his new Pokémon, who was already damaged from the previous attack, starting to shake from the noise. He had to think fast, but Blue didn't seem keen on giving him the opportunity to regroup, as he again ordered a direct attack, "Charmander, Scratch!" The opposing Pokémon quickly closed the few feet that separated it from Bulbasaur and swiped hard with its small, sharp claws again, connecting and knocking the helpless Grass Type backwards once more. That was when Red saw his opportunity; even though Charmander had successfully damaged Bulbasaur, the force of his attack had also widened the gap between the two Pokémon enough that Red just might have enough room to recover and reform his strategy.

"Your Pokémon seems to be doing a lot more damage-taking than dealing it, Red!" scoffed Blue.

 _Man, that guy is arrogant…He's right though; there's no way I can win this battle like this._ He thought to himself. "Don't get ahead of yourself; it's not over yet!" Red fired back. The Charmander sneered along with his trainer, both of them feeling confident in the way the battle was going, as he bounced lightly on his feet. It was then that Red noticed something that unsettled him, _Why hasn't he used any Fire Type attacks? He clearly would have even more of an advantage._ Sensing that his opponent was up to something, perhaps trying to make him guess when a Fire Type attack was coming and from where. If so, it was working. It was quickly becoming apparent to Red that Blue knew what he was doing. Now that Red had a better idea of where he stood, he was ready to continue this match. He adjusted his hat and tightened his gloves and encouraged his Pokémon, "Brace yourself, Bulbasaur!" Bulbasaur shifted its weight almost to a pouncing position, or as close to one as it could get with its short, stubby legs.

"Good advice," Blue called out from the other side of the room, "Charmander, use Scratch again!" Springing forward, Charmander readied another swipe of its claws aimed at Bulbasaur. This time Red was ready, and called out to his Pokémon, "Bulbasaur, sidestep and use Vine Whip!" Bulbasaur hopped to the side and a pair of vines extended from beneath the large bulb on its back, and shot straight towards the incoming Charmander. The vines quickly wrapped around the Pokémon's closest arm and leg and, using the centrifugal force from turning, slammed it down onto the ground in a loud crash and a cloud of dust. "That's it, Bulbasaur, great job!" Red praised his new Pokémon, but his smile faded when the dust started to clear and suddenly a flash and a large, thick layer of smoke appeared where the Charmander had been. Red quickly looked at Blue, who sneered and motioned Red to look up, pointing his index finger up from his crossed arms towards the ceiling. Red's head whipped to look up just in time to see Blue's Charmander suspended in the air and come down as Blue called out, "Charmander, Ember, NOW!" Red felt a sinking feeling in his gut as the Charmander swung its tail around and a large ball of fire shot from the flame on its tail tip. The attack hit Bulbasaur dead on and the fireball exploded with a loud _BANG_ , sending it reeling through the air and hitting the floor hard and skidding back up against the wall. "Bulbasaur, watch out!" Red shouted as he saw the Charmander shifting to a pouncing position to ready another attack. Bulbasaur was singed all over and coughing deeply; it slowly shook off the disorientation from the attack, but it was clear that it was weak. _Darn it!_ , Red cursed himself, _why didn't I bring my bag with the Potion in it?!_

"Alright, Charmander no more games; let's finish this!" Blue shouted, "Charmander, Ember!" Everything felt like it was moving in slow motion as Charmander leaped into the air and began to glow; ready to send another ball of flame at Bulbasaur, this one without question the finishing blow of the battle. Red rushed to Bulbasaur's side with his back against the wall. He looked to his left and saw the string that lifted the blinds covering the large window directly behind him and his Pokémon. _Is this the sun-facing side of the building? No time to figure it out._ He grabbed the cord and pulled down on it with all of his might and the heavy blinds ripped straight up, allowing the sunlight from outside to pour into the room. Bulbasaur began to shake rapidly as it called out _Bulba bulba bulbabulbabulbabulbabulba…!_ The bulb on its back began to glow and open up slightly at the top as energy and light was drawn into it, forming a small glowing sphere of light. _Yes!_ Red thought, _This is our last shot!_ "Bulbasaur…use Solarbeam…NOW!" he called out beside his partner and pointed at the oncoming Charmander. Suddenly the small sphere of light quadrupled in size and shot forth a massive beam of light energy that rent the air in the lab and collided with the Fire Type Pokémon squarely in the chest and sending it flipping through the air. There was an intense flash and explosion of blinding light and the researchers all turned away to shield their eyes.

"Aha!" Professor Oak exclaimed when he looked up, "We appear to have reached a conclusion!"

Red smiled wide as he saw Blue's Charmander collapsed on the laboratory floor, too exhausted to continue the battle, and standing beside him, though exhausted as well, was his Bulbasaur. He knelt down and patted him on the head in congratulations. "Great job, Bulbasaur!" he praised his new Pokémon on its hard won victory.

"Excellent! Now let's heal your Pokémon using this machine over here," Oak said as he instructed the two Pokémon to hop up onto the large, intricate machine in the corner by his desk. The device was quite large, larger than a grown man, and was mostly cylindrical in its geometry with multiple pipes running in and out of its upper and lower halves. The two sections were separated by an open space that had six concave slots, each large enough to fit a Poké Ball half inside it. Bulbasaur and Charmander sat motionless on the machine as it began glowing and flashing rapidly. Several seconds later, there was a soft _DING_ and both Pokémon looked good as new as they hopped down from the port and trotted back over to their trainers. "You showed some real instinctual skill there," praised Professor Oak, "and won despite being at a disadvantage. You must be talented as a Pokémon trainer, Red!"

Blue hissed in obvious irritation over his loss and the praise Red was receiving from his own grandfather, "Whatever. You just lucked out." Professor Oak shook his head disappointedly and then rested his chin on his closed fist, pondering for a moment. "I have a request of you two," the Professor said as he walked over to his desk that had a somewhat organized mess cluttered on top of it, "On my desk here is my invention, the PokéDex! It automatically records data on Pokémon you've seen or caught; it's a high-tech encyclopedia!" He picked up two small devices off of his desk. "Red and Blue, take these with you." The Professor said as he handed one to each of them. The device was bright red, a half inch thick and relativel inches in dimension. When Red pressed a small button on the right edge of the device it folded open, revealing two large, LED screens, a small keypad, and several buttons. In the upper left-hand corner he also noticed a small lens which, he assumed, was for electronically recording data on a Pokémon. Anxious to try out the PokéDex, he turned to Bulbasaur, who had been curiously staring up at him since Professor Oak had started speaking, and held up the PokéDex while aiming the lens at his victorious new Pokémon. Several beeps emitted from the device and then an image of Bulbasaur appeared on the left-hand screen, while information about its height, weight, and other physiology came up on the right-hand screen. Then, to Red's surprise, an electronic voice started to speak,

 _BULBASAUR, the 'Seed Pokémon': Its mother plants a strange seed that stores energy on its back at birth; this seed sprouts and grows along with the Pokémon. For some time after its birth, Bulbasaur gains nutrients from the seed. Extended exposure to the sun causes both the seed and Bulbasaur's body to grow larger._

"Fantastic Red, You're already getting the hang of it!" Oak beamed, "Here you two take these with you," he said as he reached into his lab coat's large front pockets and pulled out two sets of five Poké Balls, handing them to Red and Blue. "You can't get detailed data on Pokémon by just seeing them; you must catch them to obtain complete data. So, here are some tools for catching wild Pokémon. Anytime a wild Pokémon appears, it's fair game," the Professor explained, "Just throw a Poké Ball at it and try to catch it! This won't always work, however. A healthy Pokémon can escape. You have to be lucky! To make a complete guide on all the Pokémon in the world…that was my dream! But, I'm too old now; I can't get the job done. So, I want you two to fulfill my dream for me. Get moving, you two; this is a great undertaking in Pokémon history!"

"Alright, Gramps!" Blue announced as he pocketed the Poké Balls and PokéDex, "Leave it all to me! Red, I hate to say it but you won't be necessary for this. I'm going to make my Pokémon battle to toughen it up." He held up his new Pokémon's Poké Ball, "Charmander…return!" and the Pokémon vanished back inside the capsule. "Red, Gramps, smell ya' later!" With that, Blue turned and stormed out of the laboratory. Professor Oak turned back to Red after his grandson was gone, "Red, say hello to your mother for me if you're going home before setting out."

"I will, Professor. And thank you again...for everything," Red graciously said as he held out Bulbasaur's ball, "Bulbasaur…return!" He held his new friend in its half-translucent capsule up close to his face. "Let's go meet mom, Bulbasaur. Thanks again, Professor Oak," he said as he headed out, waving goodbye to the Professor and his staff. As Red stepped outside, the sun shone brightly down on Pallet Town. He attached his new Poké Ball to his magnetic belt and removed his hat momentarily to run his fingers through his hair, feeling the warm rays of the sun on his face as he looked skyward.

The clock on the wall showed the time at 10:30 A.M. Red had been gone for a little more than two and a half hours now. Deliah had been waiting patiently at the table when she heard footsteps at the front porch. She jumped up from her seat and walked briskly to the entryway as her son opened the front door and stepped inside the house. "Hey mom, I'm back!" he said when he saw her coming towards him. "Welcome back dear; how did it go at Professor Oak's Lab? I'm assuming it's safe to say you received a Pokémon from him?" she inquired, noting the second Poké Ball around his belt. Red removed the capsule holding his new Pokémon from his belt and held it out, pressing the release button on it. It opened up and a bright light shot out from within as Bulbasaur materialized on the entryway floor.

"Oh! So you chose Bulbasaur!" Deliah noted, "That was wise to choose a Pokémon that would cover for Vulcan and Ashgar's weakness to Water Type Pokémon."

"Yeah...I thought about that on my way back over here, but that actually wasn't my reason for choosing Bulbasaur." Red clarified.

Confused, Deliah queried, "Really? Then why did you choose Bulbasaur over Squirtle?"

"Well, to be honest, when I looked at Squirtle and it looked back into my eyes, I could have sworn I felt it say that it was waiting for someone else.," Red explained as he shrugged, "Then, when I locked eyes with this little guy right here, I just felt an immediate connection, like we were meant to be partners. So, that's really why I picked Bulbasaur."

Deliah looked shocked. She knew from experience that trainers and their Pokémon grow to share strong bonds with one another over time, even coming to share personality quirks. But for Red to already have made such a connection, possibly even before choosing Bulbasaur as his partner was beyond remarkable. "Red, you may be one of precious few individuals ever who have the gift of a bond so strong with Pokémon that you can actually completely understand and communicate with them as though you're both speaking the same language."

Red pondered his mother's words. It made perfect sense to him. But why him, was his question; why was he given such a gift? That was the real puzzle to be solved here. At any rate, he surely wasn't going to find answers in Pallet Town. It was just one more reason to head out on his journey. "That might explain why I've always felt such a strong connection with Vulcan and Ashgar, since the very beginning," Red observed as he held up the Gemini Ball, "Speaking of which...come on out guys; there's someone I want you to meet." The twin Charmanders shot out of their ball and onto the hardwood floor of the Knight home. At first, when Bulbasaur saw that he now had a pair of the same Fire Type Pokémon that he had just fought a grueling battle against standing before him, he began to quiver ever so slightly. "Hey, don't worry Bulbasaur," Red consoled his new Pokémon as he crouched down and gently patted his head, "This is Vulcan and Ashgar; they're my friends, and your friends now too." Vulcan and Ashgar smiled and came over to Bulbasaur, standing on either side of him and putting a gentle hand on the large bulb on his back.

"That's great that they're already getting along," Deliah offered as the three Pokémon laughed and began playing together. Bulbasaur seemed really happy getting to know Vulcan and Ashgar and looked like he forgot all about having just been nearly burned to a crisp by another Pokémon of the very same species. Deliah picked Red's bag up off of the floor, dusting it off with a few quick swipes from the back of her hand, and handed it to him. "Have you got everything that you need, Red?" Deliah knew that Red had best be leaving sooner rather than later if he didn't want to get caught out in the dark, and she preferred that he didn't if it was avoidable. Even though he was now a young man, he was still her little boy and all she had, and she still, and always would, cared for his safety.

"Yeah, I have everything packed. The Professor entrusted me with a really important task of making a complete encyclopedic guide on all the Pokémon in the world, so I'll need to be prepared for anything," responded Red as he took the backpack and slung his arms through the shoulder straps, "and I double-checked it all this morning. I guess I had better get you three back inside your Poké Balls." He pressed the release buttons and held out the two capsules in each hand, "Bulbasaur…Vulcan…Ashgar…return!" A beam of bright light shot out from each ball, enveloping the three Pokémon and withdrawing them back inside their respective Poké Balls. Red then placed both Poké Balls along the magnetized belt around his waist and reached into the pockets of his shirt, pulling out the Poké Balls that Professor Oak had given him to use for catching more Pokémon with. He knew that those five would not last him very long, especially if he planned to help the Professor by completing the PokéDex; he would have to buy more along the way.

Deliah pulled her black, leather purse off of the coat rack beside her and reached inside, retrieving a small, plastic card. "Here you go, son I've been saving this for you. It's not a fortune, but it should be enough money to get you started and help you purchase some extra Potions, any other medicinal items you may need for your Pokémon along the way and some Poké Balls for when you run out. You won't get very far with that guide if you only have a handful of Poké Balls" She handed him the card. "Keep it in your Trainer Card case, honey so it won't get lost. Whenever you win a Pokémon battle against another registered League Trainer, prize money will be added to your total funds. If you lose a match, however, funds will be deducted and given to your opponent. Be careful not to run out of money; you never know when an emergency might come up while you're on your journey, but I don't expect to hear about my protégé losing any battles any time soon," she said with a warm mother's love and pride, "So get out there and give it your all, honey; I know you can reach the top of the mountain and shoot for the stars far beyond it." She embraced him, hugging him tightly for several moments, and kissed him on the forehead. "I love you, son. Go now. Seize hold of your dreams and make them your reality!"

"Thanks mom. I love you too. I'll try to give you updates of my progress whenever I get the chance. At the very least, I'll try and call you from the PokéCenter in each new town and city I arrive in." Red assured her, as he hugged his mother one more time and stepped out the door and took the first real steps of his journey, walking down the road and waving goodbye, for now, to the woman who gave him the chance to fulfill his dream.

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Red's first Pokemon battle against his rival, Blue is in the books and as a W no less! Fun Fact: I love fight choreography and enjoy putting that love to good use in all of my stories and Pokemon battles offer a unique way to practice those skills. I sincerely pray that you enjoyed this first match as there will be many more to come, each with their own twists and moments of importance within the plot. Filling up the PokeDex while trying to Tackle the Pokemon League is going to be quite the undertaking, but I think it's safe to say that Red is up to the task. As always, gimmie yo' thoughts!


	13. The Road to Viridian City

**The Road to Viridian City**

Red had left his home town of Pallet behind him and had moved onto Route 1. Route 1 connected Pallet Town with Viridian City in the north, and while it wasn't the longest road in Kanto, it was still a journey in itself on foot. He hadn't seen many trainers in the last couple of hours he had been on the road; he had only battled one other Pokémon Trainer so far, and had snagged a quick victory with the Bulbasaur he had received from Professor Oak. Red had been told by the trainer that most of the other new trainers that had started their journeys today had all passed through the route several hours prior. Red had taken a little longer to get out onto the road due to his unexpected first battle with his new rival and then returning home after that, so the other new trainers had a head start. But that didn't discourage him in the least; he was content to just be finally starting his journey, and now he had a new mission on top of his dream of becoming the greatest Pokémon Master in history: the Professor had asked for his help in gathering data on as many species as he could, using the high tech encyclopedia he'd been given, the PokéDex. As he walked along, thinking about his task, he realized that he hadn't caught any new Pokémon yet. He'd been so busy just watching the wild Pokémon that were on the side of the road and in the trees that he'd forgotten all about filling the PokéDex. Route 1 was highly populated with Pokémon that were quite common around much of the region: Rattata, small purple rodents with a white underbelly, scurried through the tall grass off the main path, and Pidgey flocked in large numbers, occasionally resting on the larger branches of the trees that littered the area. Pidgey was a bird Pokémon that was typically quite docile, that is until it felt threatened, at which point it would begin to kick up sand in a mini, debris-filled twister.

"Hmmm…Well I guess while I'm here I may as well catch something. A Flying Type Pokémon couldn't hurt; in fact I could use one to scout out the surrounding area. That'll be pretty handy actually." Red observed as he looked around, trying to spot any Pidgey nearby that looked to be a little more willing to be approached by a human being. He noticed a small grouping of three of the small, brown and tan birds pecking at the ground in an open dirt patch surrounded by dark, tall grass all around. "Those look as good as any." He crouched down low, trying to avoid detection as he slowly moved through the tall grass towards the group of Pidgey. As he approached the Pokémon pecking and digging at the dirt, he held his breath, not wanting to make any sound. Red reached into his bag and pulled out a Poké Ball. The red and white spherical capsule increased in size, from golf ball to an orange, as he readied it as an archer would knock an arrow. One of the Pidgey looked up, possibly having heard Red approaching, and its head sharply turned to look in several different directions. _That one is pretty skittish_ , Red thought, _it may ruin my chance to catch any of these three here._ He was at the edge of the tall grass that surrounded the patch of dirt where the bird Pokémon were feeding, when the one that had been surveying the area during Red's approach hopped directly in front of his face. Its eyes narrowed as it looked directly at Red, and spread its wings back, readying its signature Sand Attack. _Blast it!_ Red cursed as he rolled on the ground to get out of the way of the inevitable wave of sand, dirt, and debris that would be kicked up by the small bird's deceptively powerful wings. After rolling to his left, Red got to his feet in time to see all three of the Pidgey readying an ensemble encore of the same attack. Getting a cloud of sand kicked into his eyes was not on his list of things to start off his journey with, so he jumped backwards in an effort to put some distance between himself and the Pidgey about to attack. That's when the assault came, a massive cloud of sand, blown by the strong gusts of wind generated by the birds' flapping wings, was rushing towards him. Red again leaped to the side as quickly as he could, narrowly avoiding the cloud. That caused the three Pokémon to screech loudly in anger. Red reached into his pocket and pulled out his PokéDex, aiming the built-in camera lens toward one of the Pidgey in front of him. The digital voice of the device briefly described the bird,

 _PIDGEY: the tiny bird Pokémon. A common sight in forests and woods, Pidgey usually hides in tall grass. It is very docile but can ferociously fight back if attacked or feels threatened. It will often flap its wings at ground level to kick up blinding sand to protect itself rather than fight back because it dislikes fighting. It has an extremely sharp sense of direction and can unerringly return home to its nest, however far it may be removed from its familiar surroundings._

"Thanks Dexter...So I guess the 'docile' part goes out the window now. I'll just have to work a bit harder to catch one." Just as Red wound his arm back to toss the Poké Ball in his hand at the Pidgey in the center of the small group, a large gust of wind rushed at him, catching him off guard, pushing him backwards and forcing him to shield his face. When he looked up he was shocked to see a large, 3 ft. predatory bird with imposing talons, an impressive wingspan, and a bright, reddish-pink crest on its head. "That's a Pidgeotto!" Red exclaimed just as the newly arrived bird of prey reared back its head and dove forward straight at him. Red ducked and rolled forward and under the attacking raptor, rising straight to his feet as quickly as possible. He pulled one of the Poké Balls off of his belt, pressing its release button and tossing it forward in one quick motion. "Bulbasaur, I choose you!" Bulbasaur stood ready for action as it stared down the imposing Pidgeotto. The Flying Type dove forward for another attack, tucking its wings close to its side to increase its speed. "Bulbasaur, use Vine Whip!" Red shouted. Twin vines shot forth from under Bulbasaur's back-mounted bulb and caught the Pidgeotto in mid-dive, wrapping tightly around its wings to prevent it from using its powerful Gust and Wing Attacks. Red held up his PokéDex to get more data on the Pokémon.

 _PIDGEOTTO: The raptor bird Pokémon. Very protective of its sprawling territory, this Pokémon will fiercely peck at any intruder. It builds its nest in the center of its large territory and uses its powerfully-developed talons to swiftly snatch prey. It has outstanding vision; however high it flies, it is able to distinguish the movements of its prey. Pidgeotto claims a large area as its own territory and flies around, patrolling its living space. If its territory is violated, it shows no mercy in thoroughly punishing the foe with its sharp claws._

Red slid the PokéDex back into his pant pocket and readied the Poké Ball that he had in his hand. "I'm sorry you thought I was invading your space, Pidgeotto, but you're mine!" he called out as he threw the Poké Ball directly at the immobilized Flying Type Pokémon. The capsule opened and shot out a bright red light that encompassed Pidgeotto's entire body, withdrawing it into the ball which then fell to the ground with a soft _THUMP_. Red watched intensely as the Poké Ball rocked back and forth and glowed, as it attempted to hold the Pokémon inside it for the initial full capture. The ball swiveled for several seconds before finally coming to a rest and the ruby glow surrounding the spherical capsule faded, signifying a successful catch. "Haha! Gotcha, Pidgeotto!" Red said triumphantly, leaping into the air in excitement as he ran over and picked up the capsule housing his newest Pokémon, raising the ball towards the sky proudly. "Thanks, Bulbasaur; you were awesome!" he praised his Pokémon and held out his hand as one of Bulbasaur's vines gently slapped in his palm in a celebration of their teamwork. He had just made his very first successful catch as a Pokémon Trainer; this was a moment that Red would remember forever. And he knew it as he stared up at the sky with a wide grin on his face. There were a handful of puffy white clouds in the sky, but it was still a bright blue and the sun was still shining. Red got Bulbasaur back into his Poké Ball and resumed his journey, pressing on up Route 1. He passed several other people on his way, though none of them were Pokémon Trainers. One fellow called out to Red and waved him down. "Hey there!" the man shouted as he came jogging over. After taking a moment to catch his breath he introduced himself, "I work at the Pokémon Mart, in Viridian City, just north of here. It's part of a convenient store chain selling all sorts of useful items for Pokémon Trainers. Please visit us in Viridian City if you get the opportunity." The man pondered for a moment after ending his sales speech. "I know. I'll give you a sample. Here you go!" The man reached his hand into the bag he had slung over his shoulder and pulled out a small Potion bottle, handing it to Red. "Gee, thank you sir." Red said as he took the Potion and slid it into his bag. "I'll be sure to do that."

"Fantastic! We look forward to doing business with you. You have a pleasant day, young man." He said with a genuine smile, and with that he turned and walked back to where he had been and knelt down to the ground, picking herbs and flowers. Red assumed that those were plants that helped in the creation of healing potions and remedies for other ailments, and continued on his way. He continued up Route 1, which was basically a straight shot north from Pallet Town to Viridian City. Viridian City was by no means the largest in Kanto; that title was reserved for Celadon City in the central part of the country, and Saffron City just a little further east of that. Red was still in high spirits from his recent catch and enjoying the beautiful weather. Deciding that he shouldn't be the only one who gets to enjoy the outdoors, he walked over to a nearby tree and set his backpack down beside it, leaning up against its tall trunk. He smiled and removed Bulbasaur, Pidgeotto, and Vulcan and Ashgar's Poké Balls from his belt, "Come on out guys!" he announced as he released his team from their cozy capsules. His current team stood proudly together in front of him. "I think introductions are in order, Vulcan, Ashgar, Bulbasaur, I'd like you all to meet the newest member of our group, Pidgeotto!" The newly added raptor flapped its wings in acknowledgment of the other Pokémon as they gathered around to greet their new, aerial companion. As Red sat on the soft grass, he tapped his finger against his temple and looked at Bulbasaur and Pidgeotto. "So what are we going to call you two?" he asked as Vulcan and Ashgar hopped on either side of him. "You two should both have a fitting nickname." He scratched the back of his head as he tried to come up with names that would suit his team members' personalities and talents. "I've got it! Bulbasaur, we'll call you…BruteRoot!" The grass Pokémon grinned widely in agreement with Red's choice, and swayed its body back and forth in enthusiasm. Red then turned his attention to his new fine, feathered friend, knowing exactly what he wanted to call him right away, "Pidgeotto…you'll be Talon!" The large bird flapped its wings excitedly and flew up into the sky, sending trills of excitement through the air before gently coming to a rest on Red's forearm. Red was proud of his young team and wondered how it would grow in the future. There were so many Pokémon out there, not just in Kanto, but the surrounding and far-off regions as well: Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos, and more all held more Pokémon than Red could imagine. "It's going to be exciting to see where the road takes us, eh guys?" he said to his partners. They all looked just as excited to go on the grand adventure that lay ahead of them as he did, which only helped to fuel the fire within him. After a short rest and a small snack to get everyone rejuvenated, Red recalled his Charmanders and Bulbasaur. Talon, however, he had flying above him to scout down the road ahead.

After another hour of travel, the team arrived in Viridian City. Red hadn't been back in the city since the day that Deliah had brought him home from the orphanage, and before that he had never been outside the children's home walls. "Ok guys, our first stop is the Pokémon Center so we can get you all rested and revitalized." The Viridian City Pokémon Center was located conveniently right as you enter the city gates. This was for ease of access for young trainers making their way up Route 1. Red entered through the automated sliding glass doors of the Pokémon Center and walked up to the counter as the young woman behind the counter gave him a warm greeting, "Welcome to our Pokémon Center. We can heal your Pokémon to perfect health. Would you like me to heal your Pokémon, young man?"

Red nodded, "Yes please. They aren't really too exhausted, but I'd like to have them completely rested all the same."

"Very well," the woman said with a smile, "I'll need to see your Pokémon. This will only take a few moments," she assured him as she set a tray with slots for Poké Balls on the counter. Red set his three Poké Balls onto the tray and watched as the woman took them and turned to a large machine behind her. The machine had a computer screen on it that showed up to six different sets of vital signs and a glass surface with concave slots for Poké Balls, similar to the tray. The slots had halos around them and holes at the bottom. There were also translucent lines running along the surface of the machine. The nurse placed each of Red's Poké Balls in its own slot with care and entered into the computer connected to the machine

Standard_Rest/3_Capsules/Slots_1-3

When the nurse pressed ENTER on the large touch screen, the machine started up and the lines and rings began to glow with a turquoise light that surrounded the Poké Balls. Several seconds later the machine powered down and the woman gently removed Red's Pokémon from it and handed them back to him. "Here you are, young man. We've restored your Pokémon back to perfect health. We hope to see you soon again."

"Thank you, ma'am," he replied cheerily as he turned and left the Pokémon Center. Red made his way through the city, and stopped as he passed by the Pokémon Mart that kind man had told him about on his way up Route 1. "I did tell that guy that I would stop by and see what they had for sale, didn't I? Alright I'll go in and check it out."

 _DING-DONG_

The store's bell sounded as Red stepped through the doorway. The man behind the counter turned towards him as he walked up.

"Hi there, welcome to our PokéMart young man! We have all sorts of supplies that would suit a young adventurer such as yourself; what can I get for you?"

"Well, sir," Red responded, "it was recommended that I stop by here on my way through town by one of your employees on Route 1. What sorts of things do you have for sale?"

"Aha! Certainly, certainly. Well, young man we have all the things every new trainer should have! From Potions and status ailment recovery medicines to Poké Balls, you'll find that we have everything you'll need to be prepared and stay on top of your game out there."

After taking a quick glance at the Poké Balls around Red's belt, the man leaned over the counter closer to Red, "Rule Number 1: Always carry enough Poké Balls! You'll never catch all of the Pokémon that you want to add to your all-star team if you run out of capsules out in the field. That's every trainer's worst nightmare," the man explained as he excitedly role-played the situation right on the spot, "coming upon a rare or powerful Pokémon and not having any Poké Balls left!"

Red looked back to the bag slung over his shoulder and nodded. "That's a good point. I only have a few empty Poké Balls left after catching Pidgeotto, and if I'm going to complete the PokéDex for Professor Oak, then I have to stay stocked up. Good idea, mister and thank you. I'll take a Potion bottle, an Antidote vile and 10 Poké Balls please; that should be enough to get me through Viridian Forest."

"Coming right up, young sir," the salesman said with a smile as he quickly gathered up all of the items Red had requested, "and as a special thank you, I'll throw in this Premier Ball free of charge! It's really not any different than your standard capsule in terms of capture rate; however it does have a variant color scheme to it. The Silph CO. made a very limited run of these, so think hard about what Pokémon you use it on!"

Red looked down at the nearly all white sphere, save a red strip along its equator, that he held firmly in his hand. "Thanks, I will."

"That will total 2,400 PokéDollars, young sir," said the clerk as Red handed him his card that kept his money stored on it. After handing it back to him, the clerk wished Red well and thanked him with a polite nod. Red left the store and turned his eyes to Route 22 to the west. "At the very least, I could just see the Pokémon League Headquarters building if I go down there; the map on the back wall of the PokéCenter said that it was a fairly short road. There may be some Pokémon there that I haven't seen yet either, so it's decided, Route 22 it is!" Holding onto the straps of his backpack, he headed west until he reached the edge of Viridian City and stepped onto Route 22. The map on the PokéCenter wall was accurate; it was only a ten minute walk before he came upon a turn in the road that led to the Pokémon League. Not more than 10 feet in front of him he saw a rustling in the grass, and purple spikes protruding from above the blades. Red pulled the PokéDex from his back pocket and held it up at the creature. "C'mon..." he said under his breath, "what are you?" The Pokémon Pokéd its head up from the tall grass and its ears, which were each larger than its head, perked up in reaction to the beeping coming from Red's PokéDex. It looked at Red and then charged without warning. Red narrowly avoided the sharp horn between and just above its eyes. "Aha! That's a male Nidoran!" Red quickly slid the PokéDex back into his pocket and threw a Poké Ball off of his belt forward. "Go, Talon!" He shouted as his Pidgeotto emerged from its capsule and took to the skies with a trill. "Use your agility in tandem with Sand Attack, Talon!" The bird Pokémon swept down at great speed, halting its descent by spreading its wings just before it touched the ground, and began flapping them hard at the ground causing all manner of sand and debris to kick up and inhibit the wild Pokémon's sight. Before the Nidoran could retaliate, Red's Pidgeotto flew back into the air momentarily before swooping back down and repeating its strategy from another angle. The Nidoran leaped haphazardly into the air in an attempt to hit Pidgeotto with its poison-tipped horn, giving Red the opening he'd been waiting for. He drew back his arm and tossed a Poké Ball at the wild Pokémon and clenched his fist as the light from within the ball surrounded it, drawing it inside. The Poké Ball wobbled left and right several times before finally settling down and ceased glowing. "Yes! We got Nidoran, Talon; great job!" he praised his Pokémon as he held out his arm and the Pidgeotto gently landed on it. Red's face beamed with excitement at adding another member to his team. He grinned as he pressed on up a small incline, but his smile faded when he saw what was waiting for him at the top.

"Hey Red, you're off to the Pokémon League? Forget about it!" Blue scoffed at Red as he stopped in front of him. "You probably don't have any badges do you? The guard won't let you through without them. By the way, did your Pokémon get any stronger?"

Blue stood with an arrogant grin on his face, tossing a Poké Ball into the air over and over, clearly itching for a battle. "I'm just passing through town on my way to Viridian Forest, Blue, but if it's a rematch you want then a rematch you'll get; it'll be a great chance to let my new Pokémon battle at a higher level." Red reached for a Poké Ball, the one he had added to his team mere moments prior, and nodded to Blue. His growing rival held out the Poké Ball he had been tossing around.

"Ready?" Blue laughed.

"Ready!"

""Let's go!"" at the same time they sent their Poké Balls onto the field, Red's newly obtained Nidoran emerging from its capsule and a Pidgy flying from the one thrown by Blue.

Red's Nidoran quivered as it looked up at the same type of Pokémon which, only moments before, had outmatched it. Quickly Red recognized his new Pokémon's hesitation and rushed up beside it and laid a gentle hand on its back. "It's ok, Nidoran, I know this is your first real battle but you can do it," Red reassured him, "besides, I've got your back!" Nidoran's posture and demeanor changed almost instantly from Red's encouragement, now beaming an air of confidence.

Blue tapped his fingers on his crossed arms, visibly annoyed. "Hey man, you gonna chat with your Pokémon or battle with it?"

"He's ready now."

"C'mon Pidgey! Sand Attack, blind it!" Blue barked impatiently as the small bird Pokémon began kicking up sand and dirt at Nidoran.

Red knew that Nidoran had faced this tactic already once today and already had a counter strategy planned for it. "Alright Nidoran, use your ears to shield your eyes from the sand!" Nidoran's huge ears, each one the size of its own head, perked up and quickly bent forward, covering its eyes at an angle. "That's the way!"

Blue growled and shouted, "Pidgey, that's enough, use Gust to blow him away!" Pidgey held back its wings before beating them wildly; creating a small twister that lifted Nidoran off of the ground and sent him flying back several feet. "Hmph! That's more like it," Blue sneered, "do it again, Pidgey!"

"Nidoran, get a running start and hit it with Horn Attack! You've got this!" Nidoran nodded and quickly dashed forward as fast as its four underdeveloped legs could manage, heading straight for the Gust whipped up by Blue's Pidgey, and leaped into the air as it leveled its horn right at it. The attack connected, sending the bird flipping through the air and crashing to the ground too exhausted to continue. Nidoran's eyes glowed triumphantly as it smiled and hopped in the air happy to have won its first ever trainer battle.

"Pidgey…return! Not bad, Red," Blue steamed as his Pokémon returned to its ball, "but this isn't over yet. I only just captured that one an hour ago; it's obvious that it wasn't ready yet. But let's see how your oversized purple pincushion does against someone with more experience...Charmander, it's your turn!" Blue quickly sent out his starter Pokémon and Red knew that this had just become a very different match. Red had barely come out of his first encounter with Blue's Charmander with a victory, and part of it was because of Blue's recklessness and underestimating Red's skill as a trainer, but he also knew that his rival was smart enough to not make that same mistake twice. Charmander looked poised and ready for action, its confidence likely on a high knowing that it held the advantage. Blue barked out his first order, "Use Smokescreen, Charmander! Blind him!" The fire type rapidly swished its tail back and forth as it spewed a thick blanket of dark grey smoke in the area surrounding Nidoran.

"Alright Nidoran, you can't rely on your sight right now so use your hearing to keep track of him. Remember, he can't see you very well either right now," Red assured his Pokémon, "so wait for an opening to strike!" Nidoran's ears were perked straight up as it listened closely for the sound of its opponent. It cautiously lowered its head to the ground in an attempt at seeing under the smoke, but as it squatted further down Blue barked again, "Charmander, scorch him with Ember!"

Nidoran reeled backwards as it was struck by the fireball. Red knew that time was beginning to run out for him here so he decided to try a last-ditch offensive. "Nidoran, Drill Run now!" The Poison Type Pokémon sprang off of the ground and began rotating its entire body while in midair, like a drill. The rotation of its body quickly cleared the smoked as it tore through the air, giving him a clear shot at Charmander, but his aim had been slightly off and he only managed to graze his Fire Type opponent's side. Even that light hit still sent the Pokémon tumbling end over end, however it quickly regained its stance as Blue readied his order, "Again, Charmander. Ember! Now!" The shot of flame struck Nidoran just as it had recovered from its attack and turned to face his opponent again. This time there was no time to avoid it and the attack struck dead-on. Nidoran rolled on the ground to put out the fire, but collapsed immediately afterwards, too exhausted to continue. Red held out Nidoran's Poké Ball and called it back, "That's ok, Nidoran, you did a great job." Red still had two Pokémon remaining in his team: Bulbasaur and Pidgeotto. Even though Blue's Charmander was weakened it was on a roll and Red didn't want to tempt fate twice in the same day, so Bulbasaur was out of the question. That left his Pidgeotto, so Red grasped its capsule and tossed it into the sky, "Talon, your opponent's weak, get him!" The bird Pokémon burst out of its ball and soared into the sky. "Use your speed, Talon, Wing Attack!"

Blue scowled and barked his counterattack, "Charmander, use Ember; torch that bird out of the sky!" Charmander's tail flame doubled in size as it whipped it into the air aimed right at Talon. Red had expected another Ember and already knew his move, "Keep going, Talon, but use Gust to neutralize the fire!" Red's Pidgeotto maintained its rapid descent as it drew back its wings and launched a twister of air toward the incoming fireballs, immediately putting them out, and continuing its course without missing a beat. "Now, Talon," Red called out to his bird Pokémon, "Wing Attack!" The Pidgeotto struck with enough force to sheer a small tree as Blue's Charmander was sent reeling back to its trainer dazed and all out of gas to continue the battle. Blue called his Pokémon back and looked frustrated. "Awww, you just lucked out!" He steamed. Red rolled his eyes as he congratulated his Pokémon on the victory, "Great win, Talon!" he said as he called it back, ignoring his rival's signature condescending tone.

"I heard that the Pokémon League is crawling with tough trainers…I have to figure out how to get past them." Blue fumed as he put away his Poké Ball and headed back towards the Viridian City Pokémon Center. He looked back over his shoulder for a moment, calling out, "You should quit dawdling and get a move on, Red!" and left.

"I think we'll stick around here for a bit and see what else we can find before heading out." Red said aloud to himself as he heard rustling coming from a nearby patch of tall grass, and grasped an empty Poké Ball in his hand.

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

I want to start this note off by saying that there was no other possible name for this chapter. It HAD to be this. Deal with it.

So as you can see, I like to nickname my Pokemon, which puts me in the minority as far as fanfictions go. When choosing a name for my Pokemon I like to make it something meaningful, as a reference to something else that I enjoy, or something perhaps a little on the nose as it were. Here within this chapter, Red nicknames his Bulbasaur "BruteRoot" (a nod to the first movie, Mewtwo Strikes Back), and his Pidgeotto "Talon" (a play on a term for the claws on the end of a raptor's feet). I hope you'll end up enjoying all of the various nicknames that Red monikers his ever-growing group of friends!

Red's second battle against Blue went well enough, but can he keep it up? Each match will be much different from the last so I look forward to your guys thoughts an predictions! Something to keep in mind while reading is that not every Pokemon that Red captures will be used on a given team, and some may be used for separate, secondary and tertiary teams. What Pokemon do you think Red will ad to his team next? Which Pokemon do you want to see him catch and raise?


	14. Viridian Forest Encounter

**Encounter in Viridian Forest**

Red left the Pokémon Center in Viridian City, after his brief and unexpectedly eventful trip to Route 22, and made his way to the north gate out of town that would lead him to the short road of Route 2 before the winding maze that is Viridian Forest. Adjusting his pack over his shoulders, Red pressed forward. He pulled the PokéDex out of his right front pant pocket and began scrolling through it to make note of all the Pokémon he had seen or caught on his journey so far. As he neared the northern gate of town he saw an elderly man standing along the side of the road. "Ah! I've had my coffee and now I feel great!" the man said as he stretched and let out a sigh of satisfaction. "What's that little red box you have there, young man?" he asked Red, with a hint of curiosity in his voice, "Ah I see, so you're working on your PokéDex, hmmm? A daunting task indeed, even for a spritely youngster such as yourself! How is that coming along for you?"

"Well, sir," Red explained as he scrolled through the PokéDex's entry system, "since leaving Pallet Town I've added Charmander, Bulbasaur, Pidgey and Pidgeotto, Rattata, both the male and female breeds of Nidoran, and just a short while ago, I managed to add a Mankey from Route 22 to my collection as well."

"Impressive indeed! You'll have that PokéDex filled up in no time at all at that rate, young man. Incidentally, I used to be something of the trainer myself in my younger years," the old man chuckled, "would you believe that?"

"Yes sir, I do."

"Good, good. Yes I was certainly something out of the ordinary let me tell you! But alas, I've lost the spring in my step as it were. Best of luck to you, boy; I'm certain that the future is holding splendid things for you - splendid things!" he wished Red well as he went on his way. Red came upon the Viridian City Gym and stopped for a moment.

"I wonder…perhaps we should hit the gym before leaving town," Red said aloud as he neared the large, imposing structure, "It would make sense to since we're already here." The front door to the building was flanked by two large men dressed in black suits and they both had dark glasses concealing their eyes. As Red approached they gestured to him to stop, "The Viridian City Gym is currently closed. Please come back some other time." One of the men said.

"Why is the gym closed? Red asked. "Aren't gym leaders supposed to always accept challenges from other trainers?"

"The Viridian City Gym Leader is not currently available to accept any challengers. If you need us to say it in simpler terms: get lost!"

Red was able to take a hint; he wasn't getting a gym battle here today. He knew it was time to leave this city and continue on his journey. He would have to come back later. He passed through the gate at the edge of town and onto Route 2, a short connecting road from the city to the forest.

Red had been wandering through the natural maze that is Viridian Forest for nearly 24 hours and felt to him like forever, even having slept for a short while to get some rest during the night. Vulcan and Ashgar had helped him light a small, controlled campfire and kept watch over him while he slept. In the time since he stepped into the thickest tree-laden section of the Kanto region, he had battled several other young trainers. Most of them had used strictly Pokémon of the Bug Type which gave Red's Pidgeotto a huge advantage in battle. Bug Type Pokémon were popular among young boys who were eager to raise Pokémon quickly, because they grew fast and typically evolved fast as well. They were strong against Grass, and both the powerful Psychic and Dark Types too, but their weakness to Fire, Flying, and Rock Types made them very defensively frail. Still, Red knew that all Pokémon had their own strengths as well as weaknesses, and he managed to add both the mono Bug Type Pokémon Caterpie, and the Bug and Poison type Weedle to his PokéDex. "I'll have time to train these guys later," Red stated, "Right now I think it would be smarter to get out of here as quickly as possible; after all, next stop is Pewter City and that is where I'll battle for my first Pokémon League Gym Badge!"

He pressed forward, ever deeper into the forest. Red could hear a light rustling behind some nearby foliage, and he tightly grasped one of the Poké Balls at his side, ready for the potential battle. He waited patiently for whatever Pokémon was closing in on him, and moments later out from the bushes popped a small, yellow mouse-like Pokémon, with a pair of horizontal brown stripes across the width of its back and black tips to its long and pointed ears. Its tail bore a strong resemblance to the shape of a lightning bolt, and its body stood about 1'4". Red held up his PokéDex…

 _PIKACHU: the electric mouse Pokémon. It has small electricity-storing sacs on both cheeks. These appear to become electrically charged during the night while it sleeps. When it releases pent-up energy in a burst, the electric power can equal that of a lightning bolt. It occasionally discharges electricity when it is drowsy after waking up. It keeps its tail raised to monitor its surroundings, and sometimes its tail is struck by lightning in this pose. When several of this Pokémon gather, their electricity can build to cause lightning storms. Whenever Pikachu comes across something new, it blasts it with a jolt of electricity. This intelligent Pokémon will roast hard berries with electricity to make them tender enough to eat; if you come across a blackened berry, it is likely evidence that a Pikachu mistook the intensity of its charge._

 _A Pikachu!_ Red exclaimed inside. "An electric type would be a perfect addition to the team." He inched closer to the Pokémon, ready to start a battle, but before he could even send out a member of his team, the wild Pokémon's ears twitched as it looked dead-on at Red before darting away deeper into the forest. "No, wait! Come back!" Red shouted as he chased after it. Pikachu were very popular Pokémon among trainers of all ages, but not very many had one, due to their only being found in a select few locations around the entire Kanto region, and so most had to admire them from a distance. Red however was not going to be satisfied with that at all.

 _I'm going to catch THAT Pikachu before I leave Viridian Forest, and that's a promise!_

Red continually followed the Pikachu ever deeper into the forest which was already enough of a maze without running blindly through it, but that wouldn't stop him. Several minutes of dodging tree trunks, thorn bushes, wild Pokémon and other trainers and ducking through the crossfire of their battles, passed as he gave chase. The Pokémon was exceptionally agile and fast on its feet, and every time that Red felt as though he was getting closer to it, the Pikachu would throw a hair-pin turn on him so fast that it caused him to slam into the trunk of a tree or fall into a bush on multiple occasions. When Red finally heard the Pokémon stop after darting through yet another large bush whose branches were far from kind to Red trying to follow through them, he stopped his pursuit and tried to catch his breath. He had been running at a flat out sprint for the better part of ten minutes, but it had felt like an hour. The sky had begun to grow darker as the sun set, and the cover of the forest trees had only caused the night to seemingly spread that much more quickly. Red could sense maleficent weather approaching and he would need to find shelter right away if he wanted to avoid being caught out in the inevitable storm. Having finally caught his breath, he peered through the bushes in front of him which the Pikachu that had led him on a wild chase through the better portion of Viridian Forest had leaped through only moments before. As he slowly and carefully pushed apart the branches of the bush he saw the Pokémon standing beneath an enormous tree, laden with ripened berries, a Pikachu's favorite meal.

 _Ok,_ he thought, _I can catch it off-guard as it's snacking, since it probably thinks that I've either given up or that it's lost me by now._ He rested his hand on BruteRoot's Poké Ball, preparing for the ensuing battle as he quietly moved in closer, but he stopped suddenly as he noticed what was currently taking residence in the branches of the large tree that Pikachu had taken an interest in the fruit of. Kakuna and Beedrill had made the tree the center of their forest-wide hive. This was going to pose a problem, a big one, for both Red and the Pikachu that he was intent on catching. Kakuna was the next evolutionary stage of Weedle, one of the Bug Type Pokémon which he had caught earlier in the forest. And while Kakuna on their own were harmless due to their being immobile upon reaching that cocooned state, they were always closely guarded by a squadron of Beedrill, the final stage of Weedle's evolutionary line. Beedrill were armed, literally, from the large poison-injecting needles on their forearms to their rear stingers that were just as dangerous. To make matters worse, Beedrill were fiercely territorial, and even more so of the area closest to where their Kakuna brethren lay immobile and vulnerable, awaiting their final metamorphosis.

The Pikachu hesitated as it looked up into the tree, seeing the Kakuna hanging from the branches. Its ears lowered apprehensively as it inched closer to the base of the tree. Pikachu were, by nature, curious and very intelligent.

 _That Pikachu must be really hungry if it's willing to brave a Beedrill hive…_

The electric type stared intently at a large hanging berry, with a hunger in its eyes. The bright red electric pouches on its cheeks began to spark as the Pokémon built up a charge. It clenched in its arms and focused as its lightning bolt shaped tail stood straight up. With one more spark from its cheeks the Pikachu concentrated a single jolt of electricity that shot out from the current that had built up around its body and connected with the fruit that was now the apple of its eye. The shot hit the rich red fruit directly causing it to drop to the ground. Elated, the Pikachu hopped over to the treat and proceeded to nibble away at it. Unbeknownst to the Pokémon, the tree from which it felled the apple had begun to light up with dozens of pairs of gleaming ruby red eyes, while it stuffed its face as full as it could manage. Without warning of any kind two Beedrill shot out from within the tree's boughs and aimed their large twin fore-needles at the nibbling Pokémon. Out of instinct or heightened senses, Red wasn't sure which, the Pikachu leaped from its sitting position, corkscrewing vertically in the air, narrowly avoiding the two pairs of poison-laden barbs, and swatted away both of the insect Pokémon with the end of its tail in the same movement. Red was in shock at how agile and experienced the Pikachu was, and for a wild one no less.

The Pikachu could only keep up its defense for so long however, and it was no sooner that it had skillfully avoided its attackers that more Beedrill had joined the assault on the disturbance to their home. It rolled on the ground and twisted in the air, attempting to shake off its attackers, but as more of the insect Pokémon joined the fray it became increasingly more difficult and its expression had turned from one that was quite proud of itself to one of worry and distress. Red could tell that this wasn't going to end well for the electric type, and quickly leaped from behind the bushes, Poké Ball in hand.

"Go, BruteRoot!" he shouted out as he tossed his Bulbasaur's Poké Ball into the air. BruteRoot looked back at Red with a worried look on its face as it took in the sight of the Beedrill. "Don't worry, buddy. Use Vine Whip to knock them away from Pikachu!" BruteRoot did as instructed, with a renewed confidence, and its pair of vines shot out from within its bulb and began swatting away any of the bug Pokémon within reach. The wild Pikachu looked over at the Bulbasaur and Red, almost with a look of irritation. It sparked for a moment followed by a jolt of electricity firing from its body and catching three Beedrill in midair, sending them crashing to the ground. The electric mouse sneered with pride, but the grin faded quickly as more Beedrill emerged from the tree to replace their unconscious comrades.

"BruteRoot, use Razor Leaf to try and push them back!" Red's Bulbasaur, reacting more quickly to its trainer's commands now, fired off a barrage of sharp-edged leaves at the swarm to drive them back into their tree. This only aggravated the Pikachu further as suddenly it charged the trained Pokémon with a missile-like head butt, knocking the grass type off balance. That surprise attack left it open to assault from the swarming Beedrill who quickly capitalized on the opportunity, rushing BruteRoot with a Fury Attack of poison-laden stingers.

"No, BruteRoot!" _This situation is deteriorating fast. I have to get him out of there._ "BruteRoot, RETURN!" Red called his Pokémon back into its Poké Ball. _This has to stop, now!_ He rushed out in front of the Pikachu, putting himself in between it and the swarming bug Pokémon as best as he could. "Hey! Stop this!" he exclaimed "He didn't mean any harm to your nest and home; he just wanted something to eat. So please, stop this senseless attack; nothing good can come of it!" For a moment, the Beedrill seemed to listen. They hovered in place as Red urged them to leave the Pikachu alone and return to their tree. It seemed like they were about to do just that when a loud thunderclap shook the forest and lightning struck down from the sky, knocking out several of the Beedrill that had turned around to go back inside their tree as the sky opened up and began pouring rain. The remaining Beedrill turned towards Red and the Pikachu again, unaware that the lightning strike had been nature's doing and not the small Electric Type Pokémon's, their eyes burning with anger.

"Not…good." Red said under his breath right as the swarm resumed its barrage of toxic attacks. There was no dodging it this time for the Pikachu as it caught the fore-needles of three of the Beedrill. Red knew that was nothing short of bad news; a Beedrill's poison acted fast, and being jabbed by multiple stingers at once would only accelerate the process of weakening the victim until they passed out or worse. Red leaped, almost instinctively, without thinking just as more of the swarm was headed straight for the now hurt Pikachu. He could tell the Pokémon was in bad shape and the poison was working quickly. Red covered the Pikachu's body using his own as the shield. For several seconds, Red felt as though his body was on fire while the Beedrills' stingers peppered him. He clenched at the ground in pain, already feeling dizzy from the amount of toxin he had just been subjected to. The angry squadron circled back around for another assault, this time adding more of their brethren to their attacking numbers. Red slowly struggled to his feet, once again putting himself as a wall to separate the Beedrill from the hurt Pikachu who looked up at its selfless human protector with disbelief. "I didn't want it to come to this, Beedrill…" Red gasped as he took hold of the Gemini Ball attached to his Poké Ball belt, "but you've left me no choice!" He drew back his arm with a powerful grace, but as he did so the wild Pikachu leaped up from the ground onto Red's shoulder and then sprung into the air, its body sparking with electricity. As the Pikachu was in the air heading straight for the Beedrill hoard, another spear of lightning fell from the darkened heavens and struck it directly on its tail. The last thing Red witnessed was a supercharged cry, almost a scream, as a massive bolt of electricity fired forth from the Pokémon and struck the entire squadron of Beedrill as it cried out in anger, _Piiiiiiiiiiii…kaaaaaaaa….CHUUUUUUU!_

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

What's a Kanto journey without Pikachu? Wrong, just plain wrong. Hence, the appearance of him here. Red without a Pikachu isn't exactly like Ash without his first Pokemon, but it's vital enough and many a great plot can be had from his presence. I wanted Red's meeting Pikachu to be something different from what we've seen in the anime and various manga. I felt that something that twinged desperation and emotion would give it a unique flare. Red was prepared to call out his guardians and brothers, the twins, in order to handle the Beedrill swarm and that's a BIG deal as he doesn't choose to send them out lightly. So it was quite a shock to see the outcome of what the little electric mouse decided to do when he stepped in!


	15. A Pokemon Emergency!

**A Pokémon Emergency!**

Everything was blurry as Red finally started to regain consciousness. He was laying flat on his back and couldn't quite see anything with much clarity, but he could feel the rain falling hard on his face. He turned his head and struggled to make out the blurry image of the wild Pikachu laying on the ground just a couple of feet away from him. Pain searing through his body from the effects of the Beedrills' poison, Red slowly turned over onto his stomach and started to crawl to the Pikachu. It took a great amount of effort, but he made it over to see the Pokémon still breathing, albeit labouredly, and partially coming to. Struggling to his feet through the pain still assaulting his body, Red picked up the Gemini Ball that was lying on the ground and reattached it to his belt. He bent down and carefully scooped up the Pikachu in both of his arms. "Hey," he smiled cheerfully as the Pokémon's eyes began to open, "that was quite the impressive show there. Let's get you to the Pokémon Center in Pewter City ASAP, alright?" The Pokémon nodded its head wearily in agreement. Just then Red remembered that he had purchased some Potions and a single Antidote from the Viridian City PokéMart. "This won't get you completely up to speed but it should help to take the edge off." Red explained as he administered the medication to the wounded Pokémon. First he injected the Antidote to alleviate some of the effects of the poisoning; Red knew that the Pikachu had been poisoned far too badly for a single Antidote to act as a successful cure-all, it required the facilities that only a PokéCenter would be equipped with, but it was all he had on him and he had to do something. Following that, he sprayed a bottle of Potion over the Pikachu's body; the cool mist had a soothing effect on injured Pokémon, making them feel rejuvenated, but once again this Pokémon was too hurt for the travel supplies that Red had with him to cause a significant change in its condition. He just prayed that it would be enough until he could reach Pewter City.

The rain was relentless when at last Red emerged from Viridian Forest. He had made far better time than most anyone else would have thanks to Talon scouting above and leading him out of the maze of trees. "Thanks Talon, return!" Red kept moving as his Pidgeotto returned to its Poké Ball, moving at as close to a run as he could muster down the short hill that preceded the gate to Pewter City. The ground was less than favorable when it was dry, to say that of it when the rain was drenching everything in sight would be a severe understatement. Red picked up speed as he continued to the entrance of town, his feet faltering a few times as the toe of his shoe caught on a rock or he temporarily lost his balance on the slick mud covering the ground. But he never fell completely, he was too determined, and the cargo in his arms was too important to drop. Finally reaching the city entrance with hardly any breath left in him from running on nothing but willpower, Red looked up to see the signature red roof of the Pokémon Center. The gigantic Poké Ball shaped neon light that sat at the top of the roof shone brightly through the pouring rain, guiding Red safely there. He stumbled up the steps to the clinic, careful not to drop the envenomed Pikachu still held in his arms, and stepped through the entrance of automatic, sliding glass doors - nearly slipping on the tile floor. The nurse behind the counter displayed a worried look on her face as Red approached the counter, as did the handful of other people taking shelter from the storm in the lobby. Red laid the Pikachu on the front counter and began to set the Poké Balls that contained his other Pokémon that needed to be restored as well.

"This Pikachu is in extremely bad condition…and I need these healed as well please…" Red could barely get the words out before the nurse pressed a large red button on the front desk. Immediately a Chansey nurse pushing a rolling tray burst through the doors leading to the emergency room, and the nurse quickly and carefully placed the Pikachu on the cart before she and the Chansey whisked it away to the ER. Red hung onto the front counter as long as he could but began to slip. He thought he was going to hit the floor, but felt a pair of arms and a feminine grunt catch him.

"It was reckless to push yourself to this point," Red heard a strong female voice scold him, "Commendable, but reckless."

He looked up and what he saw made him thankful that the mud and physical exertion had probably discolored the pigment of his skin, because he could feel as though his cheeks were matching his name. Who had stopped his fall was a girl who looked to be around his age. She had long turquoise hair that she kept styled in a ponytail with bangs that were almost spiked at the tips hanging down either side of her face - sculpting it perfectly, and piercing blue eyes with a fiery intensity behind them.

"Hold still; it's clear that you've been injected with the toxins from some sort of Poison Type Pokémon. You'll live but if it's not taken care of quickly you're going to be in a world of hurt for a long time."

Red stayed silent and did as instructed while he watched the girl open up a small pouch and retrieve a vial of violet liquid, an assortment of herbs, and what appeared to be a small bowl made of black marble from within it. She mixed the fluid with a sprinkling of the herbs inside the bowl until it was sufficiently blended. "Sit up and drink this," she told him, "It should take the edge off and put a little spring back in your step." Again, Red did as he was instructed without a word.

 _She comes off as being probably a little bit bossy,_ he thought to himself but was still grateful for her help. He had barely finished the bowl when he noticed a drastic improvement in his condition already.

"Thank you so much for that. That stuff is amazing! Where did you learn to make it?" he asked as he rose to his feet.

"It's not made with ingredients that you'll find native to the Kanto region, but you're welcome. You know that was extremely careless of you to let one of your Pokémon get injured as badly as that Pikachu was."

"That's not actually my Pikachu...well not really anyways. It's a wild Pokémon." Red explained and then proceeded to tell the girl what had happened in Viridian Forest, periodically glancing over at the still lit ER sign. After recounting his tale he wondered if this girl would even believe him, after all it did sound a bit far-fetched. The girl seemed to be thinking Red's story over in her own head, trying to examine how legitimate it probably was. After a moment she shrugged, "That sounds like a real adventure for sure. I hope you at least get to keep the Pikachu after going through all of that, but if you don't you should feel proud for doing what you did. That showed some real grit and a big heart, things we value highly where I come from," she told him with a smile as she offered her hand out, "My name is Clair. I hail from a remote village in the northern mountains of Johto, that's also where I get the herbs for the medicine that healed you."

Red pulled Clair to her feet as she spoke and graciously shook her hand after the introduction. She stood just an inch taller than he, though it appeared more because of the manner in which her hair was styled. She wore a zipped up jacket that matched her turquoise hair with sleeves ending just past the elbow. The zipper ran down a silver-white lining down the center of the jacket before forking into separate sides and was worn over what looked to be a one piece, dark navy blue, patent leather, body suit that probably accentuated her features, and cut off a few inches down her muscular thighs. She wore a pair of short, matching colored boots that looked perfect for maneuvering the rough terrain of a mountainous area like what Clair said she came from, and long thigh-highs of the same color. Her outfit was completed with a long cape, which loosely formed a scarf around her neck that was two-toned with black on the facing side and a deep maroon for the underside. Clair was a beautiful young woman, but had a powerful, almost intimidating air about her. It was clear that she was a Pokémon trainer and had been one far longer than he.

There was a soft _DING_ as the doors leading to the emergency room swung open and the Pokémon Center nurse and Chansey emerged, rolling the Pikachu out on the cart. It looked infinitely healthier, if not a little timid for being around more humans than it was probably used to. Red greeted them and the nurse gave a polite and reassuring nod as she returned to her desk and proceeded to hook Red's other Pokémon to the clinic's restoration machine. "How are you feeling?" Red asked the Pikachu, a bit of concern still in his tone. The Pokémon twitched its ears a few times and nodded. "Thank God. I know that you're just getting back on your feet, but would you like to come with me on my journey?" The Pokémon rose to its feet and nodded in approval. _I have a feeling that this is going to be really special, so I'll use that ball!_ Red excitedly grabbed the Premier Ball from his pack and held it out, pressing the release button on the front of the capsule. To everyone's surprise, just as soon as the light of the capsule had nested Pikachu away inside the ball, it burst open. Red was puzzled and took this opportunity to use the PokéCenter's public video phone. He dialed the number he wanted to call and moments later a tired Professor Oak appeared on the vid screen.

"Why it's Red! Good to see you! How are you doing my young friend?" the Pokémon expert greeted Red.

"Good evening Professor. I'm sorry to bother you so late, but I have an odd situation. This Pikachu I just caught doesn't seem to want to stay inside of its Poké Ball. Do you have any ideas of what I should do?"

Professor Oak scratched his head as he pondered the concept of a trainer's Pokémon not wanting to stay inside its Poké Ball capsule. After doing so for several moments he gave his recommendation, "I'd say that your Pikachu probably would prefer to follow along beside you rather than inside its ball. Just keep it with you and keep an eye on how it grows with you. You may find it a very eye-opening experience on how your Pokémon trust and grow more affectionate to you over time!"

"Thank you, Professor I'll do just that!"

"You're very welcome, Red. Incidentally, how is your PokéDex progress coming along?"

"It's going very well so far. I've seen 15 and caught 12 different species of Pokémon so far, with this Pikachu being the newest addition to my team." Red explained.

"That's impressive Red! I think that may be almost every known species between Pallet and Pewter! I knew entrusting you with the task of filling the PokéDex for me was the right thing to do. Am I safe in assuming that you plan to challenge the Pewter City Gym Leader for your first Pokémon League Badge?"

"Absolutely, Professor, BruteRoot and I are going take that badge just as soon as everyone is rested up."

"That's good to hear that you're thinking of the well-being of your Pokémon before all else. You're going to become a sensational trainer someday, Red. Be sure to give your mother an update on your progress as well," Professor Oak offered, "I'm sure she'll be excited to hear how you're doing. Take care of yourself, Red."

The video screen went black as the call ended, and Red returned to the front desk to retrieve the rest of his Pokémon from the nurse. "You'll be happy to know that your Pokémon are completely fighting fit. We hope to see you again." The nurse smiled cheerfully while she handed the Poké Balls containing Red's ever-growing team back to him.

"Thank you so much for taking care of my Pokémon," Red responded politely, "I don't know what I would have done without this place."

Clair chuckled behind him. "You probably would have passed out and become Rattata scraps by now." As she spoke, there was a very audible earthshaking _THUD_ outside as though something very big had just landed on the steps of the Pokémon Center.

Clair turned at the sound, "Well that's my ride out of here; it was nice meeting you, Red," she shouted as she ran out the front doors of the clinic calling back to Red, "If you ever find yourself traveling in the Johto region, look me up in Blackthorn City!". Red tried to follow, but all he could see when he got outside was the silhouette of a large, winged Pokémon with Clair and someone else whom Red did could not make out on its back, flying into the still storming night.

 _What kind of Pokémon was that…?_ Red wondered to himself before relenting, _A mystery for another day I guess..._

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Surprise, guest appearance! We didn't have a Johto Legendary Pokemon show up and fly towards a rainbow, but we had a future Johto Gym Leader make the acquaintance of our protagonist. Were you caught off-guard by Clair's appearance? I'm sure most of you can guess what the trainer and Pokemon were that flew off into the night, but who do you think it was? Pikachu is always following behind Red or Ash, depending on the medium, so I saw no reason for that to change and I tried to tie it in to how it was portrayed in the Heart Gold and Soul Silver versions so I hope that you all appreciated that little nod. Nurse Joy in the world of Child of Fire will say some iconic lines from the games, but worry not I don't have any designs of machine-gunning you with her spiel (primarily to prevent you guys from skipping through my story)! Thoughts and questions below!


	16. Battle of the Badge!

**Battle of the Badge!**

Red stepped out the front doors of the Pokémon Center the following morning with a renewed vigor and fire. He wouldn't stop until he was not only the Kanto region's Indigo League Champion, but champion of the entire world. To do that, he knew that he and his team would need to be in top form for the upcoming matches, so he decided to take a little bit of time early in the day to prepare. On the outskirts of the city, he let all of his Pokémon out of their Poké Balls, save for Pikachu who was already out. Red's Bulbasaur, Pidgeotto, Nidoran, and Charmanders stood happily in front of him as he introduced them to their newest teammate, "Guys, meet our new friend," he said as the Pikachu hopped up onto his shoulder, "He's going to help us all in our journey together. I'm going to nickname you 'Kirin'. How does that sound to you?" The Pokémon's electricity-storing pouches sparked with pleasure at the personalization. "Fantastic! Alright, now on to the other reason I brought you all out here: I think that we should all do a bit of extra training before taking on Pewter City's gym leader. You all have won against other trainers on our way here, but gym leaders are supposed to be on a whole other level and I want us to get a win in our first battle. What do you guys say to that?" Red's Pokémon all beamed with excitement at the notion. "Okay then, BruteRoot, you and Talon do some accuracy and agility training by firing your Razor Leaf; Vulcan and Ashgar, you two know what to do, keep training those flames until they outshine the sun! Kirin and Nidoran - I'm gonna call you 'Beast', you two are with me; let's see what you can do with agility and timing your attacks against a faster opponent.

BruteRoot fired off a barrage attack with Razor Leaf into the air. Talon expertly dodged the continuous attack, allowing the foliage to get closer and closer to hitting him with each successive shot. Vulcan and Ashgar traded blows with their claws and tail flames, periodically shooting blasts of fire at one another. The two Charmander had been training together for several years now and had their own strict regimen for training that Deliah had helped them put together so that they could protect Red on his journey to become the ultimate Pokémon Master. Red focused on the two newest members of his Pokémon team, Kirin and Beast.

"Beast, try to land a hit on Kirin as he dashes around. Don't waste your energy trying to chase him, that won't work, he's too much faster than you. What you need to do is learn to anticipate his moves - where he's gonna move to and when he'll be there so that by the time he gets there, you'll already be intercepting his movement. Got it?" Red's Nidoran seemed a little timid about the idea initially as Red was describing the training method, and he wondered if maybe it was a bit too much for Beast to take in all at once, but the Poison Type soon mustered a readied and eager look on its face. "Okay, Kirin," Red continued as he turned to his new electrically charged friend, "dart back and forth in a small area, but go easy on Beast at first; you're much faster than him. Gradually over the next hour or so you can increase your movement speed a little bit." The two Pokémon nodded at Red's commands then turned to each other and nodded again, and got started with their training. For the first several minutes Beast struggled to find a rhythm as he attempted to catch the Pikachu. It became frustrated with its initial failed attempts, but eventually, with a little coaching and morale-boosting from Red, found its footing.

A little more than three hours of the training later, Red decided that it was time his team got some rest before their gym battle. As he gathered them all back into their Poké Balls, save for Kirin who took his newfound place atop Red's shoulders, he noticed a young man coming from the Pewter City entrance of Diglett's Cave, a vast underground road connecting Pewter to the port city of Vermillion to the southeast. He wore a pair of mud-ridden hiking boots, dark brown loose-fitting slacks, and an orange t-shirt covered by an olive green vest, and donned a large hiking pack slung over his shoulders. From Red's guess he looked to have traveled the lot of the tunnel and to be perhaps a few years older than himself, if nothing else he was taller than Red by a good 5 inches not counting his spiky black hair. His other notable features were his heavily tanned skin and very narrow eyes.

"Hi, do you need a hand with anything?" Red asked the man as they shared the road, both heading for Pewter City.

"Hello. Thank you but I have everything in order. I see you have some Poké Balls around your waist which leads me to the assumption that you're a Pokémon Trainer."

"Yes indeed I am. I just started out on my journey this week."

"Congratulations on that. It's not an easy life, but it is the most rewarding in the end. I'm probably safe in saying that you plan to challenge the Pewter City gym leader for a badge?"

"That's exactly what I plan on doing after my partners get some well-deserved rest at the Pokémon Center," Red explained, "We just spent the better part of the morning training for whatever and whoever is waiting for us at the gym."

The young man smiled and looked into the bright blue sky. There were hardly any clouds; a black and white contrast with the day before. "I admire your dedication. Hard work goes hand-in-hand with success. What are Pokémon battles truly about though I wonder?" He gazed off into the distance as he spoke, almost as if he was directing his question to nature itself. "I'm sorry, I've spoken too much and I must hurry off; 'no rest for the weary' they say. I'm sure we'll meet again!" The man's path forked off from Red's as they reached the gates of town. With a puzzled look on his face, Red waved farewell to the man and made his way to the Pokémon Center.

After a hard morning of training, Red finally stood ready in front of the doors to the Pewter City Gym. He stepped through the doors into what looked like the inside of a cave more than the interior of a building. There were large boulders riddled all over the ground that was tightly compacted dirt. Several feet from the entrance stood a middle-aged man wearing glasses and striped dress slacks with matching vest combo. The man, noticing Red's presence, waved him over.

"Hiya, kid!" the man called out as Red approached. "Do you want to dream BIG, kid?" The man asked, speaking with a fiery excitement, "Do you dare to dream of becoming the Pokémon League Champ?"

The man's energy was infectious and was getting Red pumped for his coming battle. "Yeah, I do!" Red fired back, feeding off the man's energy.

"Well I'm no trainer, but I can advise you on how to win. Let me take you to the top!"

"That sounds great; what have you got for me?"

"All right, let's get happening! The Pewter City Gym Leader is Brock and he's one tough customer! Brock tends to favor Pokémon that hold a physically defensive advantage. All of his Pokémon are rock-solid! Find a way through his defense and victory will be yours!"

"Thanks for the tip, man. I'll definitely make use of that advice!"

"I'll be seeing you in a little while then. Good luck, kid!"

At the back of the gym, Red could see the gym leader and was shocked when he got close enough to make out who it was. The man, standing with his arms crossed, was wearing a loose, orange, long-sleeved shirt and olive green slacks. Red recognized him right away.

"I knew that I'd be seeing you again before long," the man stepped forward as he spoke, "Allow me to formally introduce myself; I'm Brock, Pewter's gym leader. My rock hard willpower is evident even in my Pokémon. My Pokémon are all rock hard, and have true-grit determination. That's right, my Pokémon are all the Rock Type! Now, what's your name?"

"I'm Red, from Pallet Town, and I'm here to earn my first gym badge from you!"

"Well then Red, do you have an answer to my question from earlier? What are Pokémon battles really about?"

"I gave it a lot thought before I came here and I came to the conclusion that I don't truly know yet," said Red as he clenched his fist, "I'm on a journey for many reasons and, even in only this first week, I seem to be adding more questions to my list than answers. I started off my quest to become the world's greatest Pokémon Master in history, and to discover myself along the way. Then Professor Oak entrusted me with the task of completing the PokéDex and fulfilling his dream of creating a complete encyclopedic guide on all the Pokémon in the world. And now, your question has added another purpose to my journey: What is the true purpose for people and Pokémon to battle alongside one another?" Red looked down at Kirin who was staring up at him, twitching his pointy ears. Brock waited as he finished his thoughts. "'Everyone has a purpose' my mother once told me. People and Pokémon alike want to discover what that is. We battle together to forge stronger bonds with each other in the hopes that the closer we become then the closer we'll get to discovering the answers." Red removed his cap and scratched his head as he concluded, "I think...that right now I only know what the questions are, and that's a start."

"That's quite impressive, Red." the gym leader commended as he walked over to a drawer concealed in the wall. It housed a several Poké Balls, and he chose the first two on the left. "You clearly have a deeper understanding of Pokémon than even you realize, and have the utmost care for them too. I'm excited to see what that lends to you and your partners in battle. Let's do this!" With a light flick of his wrist, Brock sent his first Poké Ball out, with a Geodude emerging from within. The Pokémon looked like a small grey boulder, about the size of a beach ball, with a pair of muscular arms that could put even most grown men to shame. Red recalled the hint from the man he met when he entered the gym, _A Geodude; that means that guy's hint was right on the money: Brock does use Rock Type Pokémon!_

"Red, you're going to have to find a way to get past my Pokémon's rock hard defenses if you hope to beat me. Are you ready?"

Red put his cap back on and grasped BruteRoot's Poké Ball in his hand, "Ready!" he called out as he drew back his arm, "You're up, BruteRoot!" Red's Bulbasaur appeared, ready for battle.

"Red, since this is your first gym battle, I'll choose only two Pokémon to use against your team. The first to render his opponent's Pokémon unable to continue, by reducing their Hit Points, or HP, to zero, will be declared the winner." Brock explained as the overhead lights in the gym brightened and he motioned to a large screen on the wall that showed each trainer's current Pokémon and its remaining HP.

"Let us begin!" Brock shouted, signifying the commencing of the match. Brock's Geodude looked primed and ready as its trainer started the bout. "Geodude, use Tackle, knock him down!" Despite being a usually cumbersome Rock Type, Brock's Pokémon reacted quickly to his order – lunging forward and using the momentum to prime a wide right cross at Red's Pokémon. Red didn't have as much time to react as he had planned on and BruteRoot barely stepped to the left in time, or so he thought. Red watched in slow motion as the Geodude gyrated its spherical body so as to alter its own momentum and suddenly throw a hard left hook that hit BruteRoot squarely in the forehead and sent him reeling backwards.

Red knelt down beside his Bulbasaur to check on him and Kirin hopped down from his shoulder to do the same, "Are you alright, BruteRoot?" The Bulbasaur stood up then nodded and shook off the dirt and dust he had just skidded through, ready to get back at it. "Alright pal, let's give it another shot. Keep your vines at the ready just in case he gets close again and lock onto both of those arms!" BruteRoot jumped forward, unlocking his vines ever so slightly just to have them more quickly accessible if the need should arise. "BruteRoot it's our turn to go on the offensive, use Razor Leaf!" Like clockwork, razor sharp leaves fired with a rapid fury at the Rock Type opponent.

"Geodude, use Defense Curl, shrug off the damage!" As the Razor Leaf attack began to strike Brock's Geodude, it held up its arms in a cross symbol in front of its face, and began to glow. Suddenly the attack seemed to be doing barely half the damage that it should have. Red was shocked that its defenses could have improved that much in just a few short seconds, "What… no way!"

"You underestimated my Pokémon's rock-hard defense, Red! Geodude, Tackle it again!" The Pokémon rushed through the barrage of leaves, ready to take BruteRoot down with another huge swing of its stone fists.

Red adjusted the tip of his hat and grinned, "Actually Brock, it's you that underestimated my Pokémon; BruteRoot…NOW!" BruteRoot ceased its leaf barrage as his Vine Whip lashed out of both undersides of his bulb. The vines caught Geodude in mid-tackle and firmly locked onto both of its arms like a vice. "Not possible," Brock gasped as he saw his Pokémon get caught mid-move, "you learned how to get around Geodude's defenses that quickly?"

"Oh we're not done yet, are we BruteRoot? We've got the vines taken care of; now let's have the 'whip'!" Red's Bulbasaur, with Geodude still in its grasp, began rotating its body in a counter-clockwise motion and spinning faster and faster, whipping the Rock Type around in the process. Both trainers lost track of the number of rotations by the time BruteRoot finished and loosened his vines' hold on Geodude's arms – sending him soaring through the air and crashing down hard onto the gym floor with an explosion of dust and sand. There was a loud _DING_ from the loudspeaker as the bar representing Geodude's remaining Hit Points disappeared.

"Geodude, that's enough, return!" Brock called back his exhausted Pokémon and grinned as he held out another Poké Ball. "That was an impressive display, Red. Not only did you defeat my first Pokémon, but your Bulbasaur learned on the fly as well; adapting its strategy to the given situation. That takes a strong bond between trainer and Pokémon to produce such a fast reaction. At your young age, that's saying something."

"Thank you, Brock. My Pokémon and I are only going to continue to grow closer, and stronger because of it!" Red fed off the praise for his Pokémon and was eager to continue the match.

"Very good, now let us continue. Your Bulbasaur was impressive against my Geodude, despite having never faced one before, but let's see how he holds up against something a little bigger." Brock drew back his arm and threw his next Poké Ball into the air. As the capsule released and the Pokémon within began to materialize on the battlefield, Red's eyes widened slowly.

 _Did he just say only a "little bigger"...?_

The Pokémon that now 'stood' before Red was a massive Rock Type Pokémon, nearly 30 feet in length. Its snake-like body was comprised of over a dozen large boulders in varying sizes, with the one that made up its head bearing a large horn on top. Red knew what the Pokémon was from his studies, "That's an Onix! They're even bigger in person than I expected. Well BruteRoot, the bigger they are, the harder they fall they say." That was easier said than done, and both Red and his Pokémon knew it as they looked, wide-eyed, up at their newest opponent. Red and BruteRoot still held the type advantage, but that was pretty much where the advantages ended. Compared with everything else they had faced up to this point, Onix was a monster of a Pokémon, taking up a large portion of the field of battle with its body and that rendered any speed differential almost useless. Furthermore, Bulbasaur wasn't a particularly agile Pokémon, and his short stubby legs weren't very good for dodging a rock tail several-fold his size.

"Onix use Defense Curl, now!" Brock quickly ordered, ready to get on with the rest of the battle. Onix quickly followed its trainer's command and began to glow as its body became even tougher than it already was. "I think you'll find my Onix's defenses to be a lot harder to get around than Geodude's, Red. What will you do to counter?"

Red had to think quickly; Brock was right, the same strategy he used with Geodude wasn't going to cut it now. BruteRoot wasn't going to be swinging Onix around anywhere any time soon. Its armor was already tough and it had just buffed up even more. He had to compensate somehow, and find a way to sap away Onix's dauntingly large health bar. ' _Sap'...That's it!_ "BruteRoot, use Vine Whip and tangle him up, hurry!" BruteRoot hurriedly fired its vines at the hulking Rock Type that stood before it and wrapped them every which way around it, attempting to tangle it up and slow it down. "I thought you would have tried something else, Red" remarked Brock as he shook his head, "That won't hold him for long. Onix, break free of the vines!" Onix began to break off the vines and free itself. "It held him for long enough...BruteRoot, use Leech Seed!" Out of the small opening on the top of his bulb, shot out a bevy of seedlings that attached themselves to Onix and began to sprout.

"A curious choice of move, Red but while you were wasting your opportunity to deal damage to my Onix, it broke free of your vines! Onix, Iron Tail attack!" The attack came so fast that there was no time to do anything but watch as Onix's massive tail shone like steel and swung hard at BruteRoot. The hit was direct and knocked the smaller Pokémon right into its trainer, sending both reeling backwards and Kirin, who had been perched atop Red's shoulder, flipping through the air as well. _Yikes! That was brutal!_ "Oh no...BruteRoot!" Red exclaimed as he scrambled over to his Pokémon who had fought so hard up to this point, but was now left too exhausted to continue the battle. "It's alright buddy, you did great. Rest up...BruteRoot return!"

"Your Bulbasaur fought well, Red, but even with its type advantage it was no match for Onix. What will you do now?"

Red stood up and brushed the dirt off of his clothes and held out his arm for Kirin to climb back up to his shoulder. Up until this point, his Bulbasaur had never been defeated in a battle and the realization of that was hitting home now. _All of my victories I credit to my Pokémon, all of my defeats I credit myself,_ he thought to himself. He was proud of his Pokémon, and now he had to win this match all the more. Adjusting his cap, he grasped his next Poké Ball. Red had been faithfully filling his PokéDex ever since leaving Pallet town, however only a handful of Pokémon had been chosen to be trained for trainer battles at this point, and some were not going to be wise choices in this battle, which left him really with only one viable option, "Beast, I choose you!" Red shouted and lobbed his Poké Ball forward and out popped his Nidoran.

Beast looked full of energy, and dauntless in the face of an opponent that was immensely larger than him. It lowered its head and aimed its poison-laced horn at Onix. Brock looked quizzically at the small Poison Type Pokémon and scratched his head. A Poison Type usually sat at a disadvantage when facing a ground type like Onix. "I hope that Nidoran has a lot more to it than its size shows, Red!" Brock quipped.

"Oh don't you worry about that; we've got a lot left in the tank, don't we Beast?" Beast leaped up excitedly before resuming its battle-ready stance. "Let's do this, pal; Tackle him!" Beast dashed forward towards his towering opponent. The Onix reared back its head and roared, charging forward to meet its pint-sized opponent head on. Before Brock could issue an order however, Red made a tactical change on the fly, "Beast, Double Kick now!"

The alteration caught Brock off-guard and he hesitated with his order. That gave Beast his opening as he somersaulted through the air, kicking Onix right in the forehead twice consecutively and halting its advance dead in its tracks as its health bar dropped a third. Brock and his Onix shared the same expression of shock at the events of the last exchange. "Who is this kid...?" Brock muttered under his breath as he realized that he and Onix were breathing heavily in sync. "I haven't gotten this fired up in a battle in a long time, but this guy..."

"Red, you're proving to be more than a worthy opponent today. I rarely get pushed to this point. But Onix and I won't go down so easily, can you finish the job?"

"You bet we can! Beast, let's finish this, Double Kick again!" Beast rushed forward and flipped through the air again, squarely hitting Onix in the face with two strong kicks. The rock and ground type snake Pokémon winced from the hit but didn't look nearly as phased as it had before as its health bar dropped another third. As Beast resumed its stance the ground inside the gym began to give a low rumble.

"Your attack came up short," Brock shouted with a hint of laughter in his voice, "You've missed your chance to finish us off!" As he spoke, Brock's Onix began to take on a crimson glow. "You're about to witness the offensive power of Onix's Bide - a move wherein Onix takes damage for two turns, but then dishes it back with double the power!"

Red's Nidoran looked back at Red with a worried expression in his eyes and Red called out to him to brace for the attack, "Beast, get ready to dodge!" The attack that followed however was far too fast and Red didn't even see Onix's massive tail slam directly into Beast. The hit sent the Nidoran reeling through the air and slamming into the wall of the arena with a huge crash and cloud of dirt and sand. Red rushed over to the still billowing cloud of debris to check on his Pokémon. Everything had happened so fast that the electronic board had yet to register the damage. "You and your Pokémon fought exceptionally well, Red, but it's over."

"Beast! Beast are you okay?" Red frantically tried to clear the cloud of dust that covered his Pokémon. He could hear the beeps of the match board finally tallying the damage Beast had taken from the blow and when he looked over his shoulder to see the results, both he and Brock were shocked to see the red sliver of health bar that remained for the poison type. Beast slowly rose to his four feet, staggering as he did so, and gave Red a look saying he was ready to continue. The Nidoran was small in stature, but was proving in this battle that its heart and fighting spirit was far surpassing that. Red clenched his fist tightly as he watched Beast valiantly press back to the battlefield and turn to face its trainer, awaiting his next order. "Alright buddy, I believe in you. I've got your back!" Beast nodded in affirmation and dragged its front claws into the ground in preparation for its offensive. "This is probably going to be our last shot at this, Beast; let's make it count. Give it all you've got!"

Brock scowled and crossed his arms disapprovingly. "Are you really going to allow your Pokémon to continue in the state that it's in, Red? That doesn't at all strike you as irresponsible?"

"Brock, I would never force any one of my Pokémon to battle for any reason - no matter the prize at stake," Red passionately explained as he took a stance beside Beast, "But I would never discourage any of them from giving their all and reaching for the success and glory that they deserve. My Pokémon are so much more than soldiers that I send out to battle, they're like my family and I want to see them succeed in everything they do just as they yearn for my dreams becoming reality. When we walk hand-in-hand-in-paw-in-wing, we become an unbeatable force. I'm not sentencing Beast to defeat by letting him continue this match; I'm giving him the chance to do what I know he can and will do - and that's beat you!" Red and Beast, while exhausted and breathing heavily, both looked more fired up than ever. There was a strange energy coming from them, not visible, but undeniable.

Brock looked down and smiled as Red's passionate speech resonated with him at his core, "You're absolutely right. In my own moment of arrogance I almost forgot that Pokémon are our partners and share with us our hopes, our dreams, and all the things in between - both the good and the bad. You and your Pokémon have inspired me today, Red and your Nidoran is correct - this battle isn't over yet. That being said, this is going to be the final exchange. Onix!" Onix reared its head back and prepared itself and Beast followed in-kind. ""GO!"" both trainers shouted out in unison before issuing their orders.

"Onix, use Bind!"

"Beast, Double Kick!"

Brock's Onix dove at Red's charging Nidoran, in an attempt to coil around and constrict it into submission, but Beast recalled its training earlier that day against Kirin and agilely strafed to his right, narrowly dodging the attack. As Onix made an attempt at a recovery of its assault, Beast leaped from its position onto the opposing Pokémon's back. From there he ran up the length of Onix's serpentine body and somersaulted forward, landing the first kick but as he was about to connect with the second hit the Rock Type serpent caught him in his mouth and bit down hard as its trainer called out for him to use Bite. Both trainers thought that was going to be the end of the match, but were shocked when they saw the match board showing Nidoran's HP to be higher than it was before. It was then that Red noticed the seedlings stuck to Onix that were left there by Leech Seed were transferring energy to the Poison Type. _Thank you, BruteRoot..._ Beast was then thrown to the ground in another explosive cloud of dirt and sand, but this time the debris was quickly burned away by rays of piercing white light. Red's eyes widened as he watched as his little Nidoran rapidly doubled its girth, not just in body, but his ears, back spikes, and horn all increased in size as well - signifying his having attained his first stage of evolution, Nidorino. Red ran over to his newly-evolved Pokémon and wrapped his arms around him; he was so proud of the hard work that Beast had relentlessly put forth in this battle and was ecstatic for his sudden and unexpected transformation. Immediately, Red shouted out to his Pokémon, "Let's get him, Beast...Drill Run!"

The following seconds of the battle seemed to go by in slow motion for Red, as his Nidorino shot forward with incredible power from his newly strengthened legs. Brock's Onix was left with no time to dodge and barely any time to brace for the impact of the coming attack while its trainer looked on both impressed and amazed. Beast lifted off of the ground and began rotating in a corkscrew motion with furious speed and power, and aimed his sharp horn directly at the Rock Type's massive forehead. Had the impact been any harder it very well might have shattered Onix's skull. The force of the impact sent the giant stone snake reeling through the air, even so much as crashing into the rear wall of the arena. Onix's health bar on the large screen lost the final quarter of its HP, hailing Beast as the victor.

Brock called back his exhausted and defeated Pokémon, thanking it for its hard effort, and walked up to his victorious opponent. "I took you for granted, Red, and so I lost. As proof of your victory over me, I confer on you this," Brock held out his hand and resting in his palm was something small, no more than an inch in diameter, shiny, and almost resembled a small stone, "the official Pokémon League Boulder Badge." Red took the badge in hand and pinned it to the inside of the shirt his mother had given him. "Just having the Boulder Badge makes your Pokémon more powerful, and it will enable the use of the field move Flash outside of battle to light up dark caves as well. Of course, a Pokémon must also know the move Flash in order to use it. Take this with you as well," Brock reached into his back pocket and pulled out what appeared to be small disc with a dark brown hue to it, and handed it to Red, "This is what is known as a 'TM', or Technical Machine. A TM allows you to teach whatever move it contains to a Pokémon it is compatible with. This particular TM contains Bide, the move my Onix used against your Pokémon during our battle, the Pokémon will absorb damage in battle and then pay it back double!"

Red took the gym badge and Technical Machine gratefully and shook the gym leader's hand, "Thank you so much for everything Brock. You've really taught me a lot today."

Brock shook his head and smiled. "No, Red, it was you who was the instructor today. There are all kinds of trainers and Pokémon in this huge world of ours. Some live side-by-side as partners and friends, others train and battle together to test the limits of their abilities. I myself am training to someday become a master Pokémon breeder. What will you become, Red? You have shown yourself to be immensely gifted as a Pokémon trainer and your Pokémon responded to that with their trust in you and the uncanny amount of effort they put forth into battle. With skills like yours, you can go far - as far as you believe you can. Limits are just the mental barriers that we put up that inhibit us from progressing further. If you really want to take your training seriously, then go to Cerulean City and challenge the gym leader there. Continue to test your abilities as a trainer and those of your partners who travel alongside you. I will pray for safe travels for you through the pass of Mt. Moon and its caverns that you will go through on your way to Cerulean."

"Thank you again, Brock. I will." Red took his leave of the Pewter City Gym after recalling Beast. Walking out into the afternoon sun with Kirin resting on top of his shoulder, Red took off his cap and brushed his hair back with his fingers, soaking in the warm rays. The gentle heat from the sun felt soothing against his skin after the grueling gym battle he and his team had just been victorious in, as he strode once more to the Pewter City Pokémon Center.

While the center nurse placed his Pokémon on the healing apparatus, Red decided to take a moment to call his mom and check in. He dialed his home number on the front-facing digital keypad of the public video phone and after a few short rings, Deliah answered and appeared on the video screen.

"Oh it's Red! Hi honey!" Deliah exclaimed happily at the sight of her son.

"Hi mom, just checking in with a status report." He looked happy to see his mom as well.

"Let's hear it! How's my Pokémon Master doing?"

"I've been faithfully filling up the PokéDex for Professor Oak, making sure to catch anything new in every area I pass through on my journey, while also forming my team for battling any other trainers I come across who are willing to battle as well: so far I have Bulbasaur, Pidgeotto, a newly-evolved Nidorino, and the Pikachu you see on my shoulder is Kirin."

"How adorable! Pikachu aren't commonly seen by most trainers, but that has never kept them from being one of the most popular, and highly sought after Pokémon," noted Deliah, "You should feel very fortunate to have one as your partner."

"Oh I definitely am, and I know that we're gonna be able to accomplish great things if we keep working at it. I haven't yet had the chance to really put him through his paces in a match, but I have first-hand experience with his abilities in the wild and you would not believe it!" Red exclaimed as he recounted the events of his encounter the day before in Viridian Forest to his mother.

"Oh my goodness! I'm so glad that you're alright honey...That's quite the experience for this early in your journey. You should be thankful that you weren't seriously hurt." Deliah's motherly concern for her son was evident in her voice and her eyes. "Did you spend the day resting?"

"Actually I spent the morning training to win this," Red grinned with pride and pulled open his collared shirt, revealing his newly-obtained Boulder Badge, "my first Official Pokémon League Gym Badge!"

"You already defeated the Pewter City Gym Leader? That's fantastic, congratulations sweetie! I'm so proud of you. I always knew that you were going to be a star trainer," She was incredibly proud of her son, "Now you'll have to pass through Route 3 and Mount Moon before reaching Cerulean City. Mt. Moon isn't especially treacherous, but still be careful if you decide to wander through some of the deeper caverns inside to look for more Pokémon."

"Thanks mom, I will. I should get going; I think the nurse just finished with my Pokémon. I love you."

"Okay honey, I love you too. Stay safe out there."

 _CLICK_

"I'm sorry if you were waiting very long for me, Miss. I just needed to make an important call."

"Not at all, young man," the nurse reassured Red with a genuine smile, "Your Pokémon have been restored to perfect health. Good luck out there!"

After retrieving his Pokémon from the nurse, Red made one more, brief phone call to Professor Oak to update him on his PokéDex progress so far, namely Nidorino. He also told the professor about his successful challenge of the Pewter Gym, to which Oak congratulated him and reiterated the advice of both Brock and Deliah with regards to traveling through Mt. Moon. "I hope you find the time to add the trove of Pokémon that dwell within Mt. Moon's deeper caverns to the PokéDex as well, Red and be on the lookout for an elusive Clefairy, but still be careful."

Red strode through the city streets, heading to the east gate out of Pewter City which led to Route 3, a modest road that took trainers from Pewter to the entrance of Mt. Moon. The route wasn't occupied by many new Pokémon, though Red was able to add the Flying Type Spearow and the dual-type Jigglypuff to the PokéDex. Jigglypuff, a balloon-shaped Normal Type with big baby blue eyes and stubby limbs, was recently discovered to also have the traits of Fairy Type Pokémon. The pink ball stood just under 2 feet and weighed around 12 pounds, and had a notorious penchant for attempting to serenade crowds of people. Its annoying habit of putting people and Pokémon around it to sleep aside, they were adored by young girls for their big pointy ears and single tuft of curly fur at the center of its forehead. Route 3 was however, littered with many other young trainers, ranging from Bug Catchers who were handily beaten by Red's Pidgeotto, to other young boys and girls who used a wider variety of Pokémon in their teams. One such trainer, a young boy wearing blue shorts, a white T-shirt, and backward-turned blue ball cap, used a Pokémon Red had yet to come across. The Pokémon was an Ekans, a purple hued snake Pokémon of the Poison Type possessing a golden-yellow collar and matching underbelly leading to a rattle at the tail end of its body. The snake was a new challenge to Talon, who had to be weary of Ekans' Poison Sting and getting caught in its binding coils, but continued to prove itself as a valiant fighter and was able to overcome his opponent with a rapid aerial offense. When Red asked the boy where he had caught the Pokémon, he was informed that he had found it just outside of Cerulean City when he was traveling with his parents the prior month, and told him to check around the tall grassy fields along Route 4. Thanking the young trainer, Red continued his trek toward Mt. Moon and increasing his team's number of victories over opposing trainers who were willing to battle. The many battles against other young Pokémon trainers made Red wonder why some choose only one or two types of Pokémon to train while others use a wide variety.

 _Perhaps by only choosing a single or two types of Pokémon, dual types notwithstanding, some trainers hope to minimize the number of weaknesses they have to account for...And by doing that they can focus on mastering all of the strengths of that particular type._

Red looked over onto his shoulder at Kirin, whom up until this point had yet to be tested in battle. "We'll put you through your paces soon, Kirin. I'm sure you're itching to battle as much as I am to see what you can do!" Kirin grinned as he got a little gleam in his eyes and let out an audible, excited _Pi!_

It wasn't long before Red had made his way to the cave opening to Mt. Moon. In preparation for his first crack at spelunking, he got his team healed up in the PokéCenter that was conveniently located adjacent to the entrance. After retrieving his Pokémon from the nurse, Red noticed a somewhat rotund, middle-aged man who was quite far along in the balding process, standing in the corner and waving him over.

"Hello there, laddie! Have I got a deal just for you!" The man had the wide grin and spunk of a salesman at work. "I'll let you have a secret Pokémon, a swell Magikarp, for only five hundred PokéDollars!" He held out a Poké Ball in his hand that looked to be gold-plated.

Red scratched the underside of his chin in thought; he was a little skeptical to say the least. He may have only just started on his Pokémon journey, but he had studied more than enough under Deliah to know that Magikarp was a very common Water Type Pokémon and it was certainly no secret that its strength was virtually non-existent.

The salesman seemed to be getting impatient with Red's mulling it over, "So, you'll buy it, am I right?"

After thinking things through, Red gave the man a nod to which he instantly was overcome with joy as he cheerfully took Red's money and handed over the Poké Ball. "Remember laddie, I don't give refunds; you knew what you were getting! Have a nice day!"

"Thanks mister..." Red said under his breath as he left the Pokémon Center and held the ball out in the early evening's setting sun. "Well Kirin, we did need a Water Type in the team and our new friend here will be a star with a little effort put into its training." Kirin quizzically stared at the gold-plated ball, poking at it with the tip of his tail almost as if even he thought it a worthless purchase, but Red knew better. He was taught that, like people, all Pokémon, no matter how big, small, popular, or otherwise, had value and he was determined to prove that when he got to training his new Magikarp. "Let's make one last inventory check to ensure we have everything we'll need to get through Mt. Moon, shall we?" Finding a soft and open patch of short grass, Red pulled off his backpack and sat down. He unzipped the largest compartment first and pulled out a long coil of thick climbing rope with a small, steel grapple on one end. "Ok good, we have the rope." Red noted and set it on the ground in front of him and Kirin, who then hopped into the center of the coil and nestled there while Red continued to take inventory. Next he opened one of the smaller side compartments and pulled out the modest collection of Potions and status recovery sprays stored within. "Good, these are vital to this trip. I can't risk getting caught in a bad situation without them." Lastly he opened the small compartment on the opposite side of the previous pocket and retrieved a bundle of unused Poké Ball capsules. Counting a dozen and being satisfied with that number for the time being, he proceeded to place everything back inside their respective compartments in his pack. "It probably couldn't have hurt to stock up just a little more on Poké Balls while I was still in Pewter, but this is going to have to be enough until we reach Cerulean City; I'm not planning on doing any back-tracking at this point." He slung his pack back over his shoulders and tightened the straps. "Ready, Kirin?" _Pi!_ Red's Pikachu leaped onto his shoulder as the team entered the dark opening to Mt. Moon.

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Red won his first official Pokemon League Gym Badge! Have you watched Pokemon Origins? I really dug the interactions between Red and Brock in that mini series, and so I decided to do something similar, because that really added a lot to Red's internal character and the purpose for his journey. Red is showing himself to be a tactical genius in the art of Pokemon battles, and I've enjoyed writing each match as its own mini story being told on the battlefield. For the sake of my own sanity, Technical Machines will not be numbered in this story, nor will Hidden Machines.

So here's a fun question from me to you, my loyal readers: did any of you end up buying the Magikarp from that swindling salesman inside the Mt. Moon Pokemon Center? I forked over the cash for it, because I knew what it evolved into with a little work, and it was also the only water type you could get at that early of a point in the games (unless of course you chose Squirtle as your starter...but I don't judge). Send your thoughts! At the end of my notes for Gym Battle Chapters, I will add a list of Red's current Pokemon League Challenge Team as of the chapter's end.

RED'S TEAM:

*Vulcan & Ashgar (Charmanders)

\- BruteRoot (Bulbasaur)

\- Talon (Pidgeotto)

\- Beast (Nidorino)

\- Kirin (Pikachu)


	17. Trouble in Mt Moon!

**Trouble in Mt. Moon!**

Despite being the insides of one of Kanto's largest mountains, the cavern walls within Mt. Moon were littered with strings of lights just above eye level. The caverns were traveled constantly as they were the primary means of going between the cities of Pewter and Cerulean, and to reduce the potential danger of the trip efforts had been made to ensure that at least the upper tunnels were lit well enough for travelers to find their way, yet still dim enough so as not to disturb the Pokémon that called the caves their home. In addition to being impassable from an external means, Mt. Moon was known famously for its frequent meteor showers and being the only known location where a rare, wild Clefairy could be found. The meteorites that fell around the mountain and became imbedded in the rock there were appropriately known as Moon Stones and had peculiar effects on certain species of Pokémon, and this made them highly sought after.

Red had never been this far north into the region, and his only knowledge of the mountain was what he had read in the books Deliah gave him during his training. He was thankful for the interior of the cave being lit, and despite what he initially expected the cave was well ventilated - at least on the first floor. Red carefully made his way deeper into the mountain's interior, all the while keeping an eye out for new species of Pokémon to record information on for Professor Oak. His first catch of the cave happened when he accidentally stepped on a large rock that turned out to be a Geodude. The angry Rock Type tried several times to take Red's head off with swings from its powerful arms, but Beast, having evolved into Nidorino during the battle against Brock, made short work of the limbed boulder Pokémon. As Red entered what appeared to be the main chamber of this level of the cave, he was amazed at the sheer massive size of it. Though the path forked to the left and right directly in front of him, he could see far enough ahead in both directions to tell that this was going to be no short hiking trip. On the upper walls and ceiling of the cavern he could see small twinkling lights, almost star-like in appearance.

"I wonder if those are Moon Stones...What do you think, Kirin?"

 _Pi?_ Kirin tilted his head quizzically.

"Yeah you're probably right; it wouldn't matter. There's no way we can reach that high up, even with our rope, at this point anyways."

As he stared at the ceiling, Red could hear rustling and scratching sounds of sorts coming from high above in the dark recesses of the walls that seemed to echo all throughout the cave.

"Those are Zubat." said a raspy male voice from a dark corner to Red's right. Stepping out from the shadows revealed the voice to belong to a trainer with scraggly, long dark hair whose bangs partially covered his bespectacled eyes. The eyeglasses could hardly be described as fashion-forward, and his wrinkled white button-up shirt and black slacks only added to Red's notion that this was a hardcore super nerd of a trainer. Super nerds were a class of trainer who tended to use Pokémon or moves that were technically complex or strange. They usually possessed a high IQ and loved to flaunt that fact as an attempt at self-superiority. "You look like you're out of your element here," the trainer sneered, clearly looking for a fight, "Any novice would have been smart enough to bring Repels to avoid getting caught in a Zubat swarm. You must be a real country bumpkin a long ways from the farm. I'll have to be the hard lesson learned from your lack of preparation!" With that the nerd immediately threw a Poké Ball forward, calling out a Pokémon Red had not yet encountered. The Pokémon, that levitated a few feet above the ground, was an odd shape to be sure; its body was comprised of a center metallic orb possessing a single eye, with a rotating U-shaped magnet on both the left and right ends of its lateral axis. There was a trio of large screws, one on top and the other two at the bottom of its body that seemed to be constantly turning as well. "This is Magnemite, bumpkin, and you're about to be shown what happens to beings of weaker intellect!"

Red was taken by surprise by the sudden challenge and barrage of insults, but he knew better than to fuel that and would let his battling skill speak for itself. He extended his left arm out forward, pointing towards the opposing Pokémon. "What do you think, Kirin, are you ready to show your stuff?" The Pikachu darted down the length of its trainer's arm and hopped down to the ground, fixating its gaze on the Magnemite and readying itself in a pouncing stance. "Awesome. It's your turn to shine!" _Pi!_

"Hmph! Your little rat doesn't stand a chance against my Magnemite's superior intelligence. You may as well turn around and head back to the farm, bumpkin! Magnemite, use Tackle!" The Magnemite lunged forward through the air while rotating its body at a high speed, directing its aerial dive at Kirin. While the Super Nerd's Pokémon displayed more speed than Red expected it to be capable of, his Pikachu was far too agile and dodged the strike without needing its trainer to issue any sort of command. Red took that opportunity to make a strike of his own. "Kirin, hit it with Quick Attack!" Having barely recovered from its dodge, Kirin halted and pulled a 180 degree turn before it shot forward with incredible speed. A rapid zigzag movement ended with Kirin ramming its body into the Magnemite. His opponent's Pokémon turned around without so much as flinching, a reaction which took both Red and Kirin by surprise.

"Bahahahaha!" The Super Nerd laughed disdainfully at the duo. "You're every bit as stupid as I thought, bumpkin! You can't harm my Magnemite with a Normal attack; it's not only an Electric Type Pokémon, but also a hardened Steel Type which resists any Normal attacks. What a waste of my time. Magnemite, finish this twit off with a Sonic Boom!" The Electric/Steel Type began to vibrate while it floated in the air, at first starting out lightly and then gradually turning wild before firing a continuous wave of blaring sound at Kirin. The wave struck Kirin, causing him to crouch and try to cover his long pointy ears while its trainer did the same. While Red and his Pikachu were stunned from the continuous barrage of sound, the Super Nerd called out to his Pokémon to finish his opponent off. "Tackle it again, Magnemite, knock that rat out!" It lunged through the air again and this time struck Kirin directly. The force of the blow knocked Kirin backwards through the dirt and mud of the cave floor, but he used the momentum to roll back onto his feet again. "Defiant little pest, we'll teach you to disrespect us...Magnemite, Thundershock!"

Red was still recovering from the assault on his eardrums, when he saw the electricity shoot forth from Magnemite and head towards his barely recovered Pikachu. He was about to cry out to Kirin, but he witnessed his Pokémon swiftly turn around so that he was facing away from the attack, and catch the electric strike with the tip of his tail. Kirin's tail seemed to absorb and hold the energy for a moment, surprising both trainers. He then whipped around, snapping his tail forward like a slingshot that returned the absorbed electric energy from Magnemite's Thundershock attack back to its owner. The energy struck home with a bright flash that lit up the surrounding area. When the flash faded away, Magnemite lay on the ground, the energy literally zapped out of it.

"Great work, Kirin!" Red was both shocked and ecstatic at the outcome. This was the second time he had witnessed his new Electric Type absorb electricity of some form or another and use it for his own offensive strike. For the Super Nerd however, it had clearly been the first and his expression wrote it all over his face.

"T-That's impossible...y-y-you cheated somehow!" The trainer fumed as he stomped at the ground.

"I guess you didn't know your opponent as well as you thought you did, friend." Red chuckled as Kirin returned to its perch atop his shoulder, and they continued deeper into the cave. The following smaller, drafty chambers that led up to the next large area were filled with several trainers though they were primarily made up of Bug Catchers whom Red's Pidgeotto quickly dispatched. As Red approached the floor's largest chamber he spied a hole in the ground up ahead with the top few rungs of a ladder poking up from within it. He peered down the hole, and upon closer inspection, the ladder appeared to run the depth of it. A young female's voice stopped Red from proceeding down the ladder, "Hey! Who do you think you are, sneaking around in here?" The young trainer had light brunette hair and wore a collared white, short-sleeved shirt and a light blue, pleated mini skirt. The girl also had a long string necklace around her neck that had a Poké Ball hanging at the end of it and was probably held there by a magnet of some sort. Her demeanor suggested that she was going to challenge Red to a battle, which was fine because he wanted his team to receive all the practice they could get while on their first spelunking trip. "This Lass is about to kick you all over Mt. Moon!" The Lass disconnected the Poké Ball from around her neck and lobbed it forward with an underhand toss motion, summoning what looked to be a small Grass Type Pokémon. The bulbous creature had a dark blue orb-like body with two small legs, beady red eyes and a crest made up of several large leaves adorning the top of its head - which was also its body. This was another Pokémon that Red had not yet encountered on his journey, which led him to believe that some of these trainers were from further east in Kanto. "I'd like you to meet Oddish, and she's going to cut your Pokémon journey short!"

 _If that's a Grass Type Pokémon, then I don't think so, Lass._ Red thought to himself as he confidently took hold of Talon's capsule.

Following the short battle against the Lass, which consisted of Talon rapidly blowing around its Grass Type opponent with its powerful Gust and finishing it off with a diving Wing Attack, Red returned to his prior goal of climbing the ladder down to the lower level of the cave. He slowly descended the ladder one creaky old rung at a time. The old wooden ladder's soundtrack did not amuse Red, or Kirin who clung tightly to its trainer's head. The ladder led them to a corridor-esque, 'L'-shaped tunnel whose damp, reddish-brown walls told Red that the ladder had taken them much deeper down into the earth than he initially expected. Yellow and red, spotted fungi littered the ground in patches of three to a dozen all along the corridor. Red stopped when he noticed a pair of the tiny toadstools moving from one patch to another. He curiously raised an eyebrow and Kirin hopped down to the ground to investigate, cautiously inching closer to the mushrooms. As Red and his Pikachu both reached for the yellow-spotted caps, a pair of orange pincers came up from the ground and nearly snipped off both of their fingers. The duo jumped back as a set of golf ball sized eyes emerged from the dirt and clay floor of the cave. That pair of eyes belonged to a Bug Type Pokémon that was a pastel orange hue with four, needle-like legs that were disproportionately dwarfed by the front pincers and side-facing mandibles that looked as dangerous as they did frightening. All of those weapons were put to attempted use right away as the Pokémon scratched its way across the ground towards Red and Kirin who immediately switched into battle mode, with Red issuing the order to hit the Bug Type with a Tail Whip in a effort to make it more vulnerable to an offensive strike. Kirin crouched low to the ground and rapidly spun, whipping its tail in a wide radius that caught the wild Pokémon off-guard and flipped it onto its fungi-ridden back. As the Pokémon lay on its back, legs flailing wildly in the air, Red took the opportunity to grab his PokéDex and ascertain the identity of his wild opponent. The electronic encyclopedia told Red that the Bug Type Pokémon in question was a Paras, which turned out to be both a Bug and Grass Type Pokémon, and it specialized in afflicting its enemies with poison, paralysis, or sleep status conditions through various toxic spores from the parasitic mushrooms that grew on its back.

"Right...so don't inhale Paras spores...Got it. Kirin lets finish this off; hit it with a Quick Attack and follow up with Thunderwave!" Kirin sprinted forward and rammed the overturned insect with a pair of quick strikes that knocked it into the air. When Kirin had recovered from landing its second hit, he began to glow with electric energy momentarily before firing a continuous wave of electrical current that caught the Paras and enveloped its entire body as it dropped back down to the cave floor paralyzed. "That's it! Capture time!" Red shouted as he swiftly grabbed a Poké Ball out of his pack and tossed it at the Paras. A few short seconds later and Red had caught yet another new Pokémon on his trip through the Mt. Moon. "We're really on a role with this PokéDex thing, aren't we Kirin? I wonder what else we'll find in here...maybe a Clefairy! I know both The Professor and mom would be impressed if we managed to find one of those. Guess the only way to have a shot at that is to keep going deeper into the cave." Red made a right-hand turn around another corner following his Paras encounter and found yet another ladder leading further down. Kirin immediately scrambled to the top of his head and clung tightly to his hat, clearly not a fan of the ladder situation here in the mountain. Red himself didn't have a fear of heights, but the rickety old ladders were a topic of concern on his mind as well as they very deliberately made their way down to the next area. The ladder brought the team to an area that was roughly the size of Professor Oak's laboratory. The ground and walls in this particular area were rich, reddish brown clay with a littering of sparkling stones embedded throughout. There were around a half dozen small craters, that ranged from a few feet to several yards in diameter, scattered around the ground as well and Red noticed a figure standing in the center of one of the larger ones. From behind, he couldn't very well make out the figure other than the build had to belong to a man and he was clad entirely in black with the exception of a set of white gloves and boots. Something felt off to Red as he carefully and quietly approached the figure in question from behind, and as he got closer the reason for his gut feeling became evident. The man, who easily stood more than a foot taller than Red, was holding a long black whip in his right hand. That alone spelled trouble, but if it wasn't bad enough he saw him cracking the whip at a Pokémon that was cowering with its back against a large, glimmering boulder.

"C'mon get out of the way you dumb little sprite!" The man shouted at the scared Pokémon, who Red could now see was none other than a rare Clefairy - the very Pokémon he was searching the depths of the cave for. The man clearly held no regard for Pokémon and that immediately set a fire in Red's eyes and he sent Kirin to get between the Clefairy and its assailant.

"Leave it alone!" Red shouted as he put himself between them alongside Kirin.

The man did not seem amused by Red's intrusion one little bit. "Who the hell are you?! This is no place for children; mind your own business and go back to your daycare!"

Red was equally unamused by the man whose long blonde hair was mostly covered by a black hat and most notable feature was a large, bold 'R' in bright red that covered much of the front of his shirt. "It doesn't matter who I am, all you need to know is that I'm the trainer who is not going to allow you to continue this kind of treatment of Pokémon!"

"Fine, you wanted a fight - you got a fight, punk! I may only be a grunt, but I'll still teach you a lesson for messing with Team Rocket that you won't soon forget!" The Team Rocket Grunt pulled a Poké Ball off the belt around his waist and aggressively threw it onto the ground. The capsule opened with a flash and out came a Rattata. Its bright purple fur bristled and its blood red eyes fixated on Kirin, ready for a fight. The grunt cracked his whip and the Rattata leaped at Kirin who quickly darted around his opponent and countered with two rapid strikes from a Quick Attack. After only a few matches together, Red and Kirin were already connecting on a high level. Once the bond between trainer and Pokémon reaches a certain level, the number of orders the trainer needs to issue verbally becomes greatly reduced and the Pokémon learns to fight on instinct and a sixth sense sort of mental connection that it shares with its trainer. Most trainer/Pokémon pairings take a long time to build such bonds, but Red was quickly showing that he possessed something else that set him apart from the rest. Kirin used Quick Attack yet again as the Grunt's Rattata lunged forward with a Super Fang attack that grazed Kirin's side causing him to lose balance and skid across the floor.

"Your little mouse is going to get knocked out, punk," the Rocket Grunt sneered, "You know what I'm going to do after that? I'm going to take it from you for myself!"

Red was appalled. He couldn't imagine the idea of stealing someone's Pokémon; this was no trainer, this guy was nothing more than a thug and a thief and Red would not tolerate it. Kirin looked fumed as well and sparked with electricity all over, from tail tip to ear tips. The Rattata lunged again for another Super Fang, but suddenly was smacked out of the air by a sound wave that unexpectedly came from the Clefairy that had, until now, sat on the sidelines while Red and Kirin fought off the Team Rocket Grunt.

"Why you little..." Before the Grunt could finish fuming he was blasted by both another sound wave from the Clefairy and by a Thunder Shock from Kirin. The Grunt lay flat on his back, his clothes smoking from the attacks. The very next thing Red did was march over to the criminal and place his foot on the man's heaving chest. "You make me sick! You have no right to have any Pokémon of your own if you're only going to use them for crime and mistreat them!" Red's crimson eyes were burning bright with how furious he was and Kirin stood on top of the man, sparking with anger as well as Red relieved the Team Rocket Grunt of his Poké Balls and placed them in the largest compartment of his pack. With the criminal passed out on the ground, he then turned his attention to the Pokémon he had been defending. The rose pink Fairy Type Pokémon stood just shy of 2 feet tall and had short stubby arms and legs protruding from its mildly rotund body. The top of its head was adorned with a pair of pointy, brown-tipped ears and a swirly tuft of fur on the top of its forehead. The Pokémon's little black eyes looked up curiously at its human defender and Red crouched down to be as close to eye-level with the Pokémon as he could be. The Clefairy bounced around Red in a circle, twirling as it went almost as if it was dancing.

"I hope you're alright, Clefairy. That guy won't be bothering you again." Red said reassuringly. The Clefairy nodded in gratitude, then hopped up and down and pointed off back towards the ladder which Red had came from. Kirin stood next to it and communicated with it for several moments before tugging on Red's pant leg and pointing back at the ladder in the same manner. "What is it you two? Is something going on elsewhere in the cave?" Clefairy, followed by Kirin ran towards the ladder that led back up to the main level of Mt. Moon and Red quickly followed after the two Pokémon. He wasn't sure where they were leading him but he trusted that Kirin knew what he was doing and so he followed their lead without a word. When the trio had returned to the main floor, their course took them in the opposite direction that Red had initially taken, leading to another massive chamber on the far side of the cave. Red faced multiple trainers along the path Clefairy was leading him. Again, most of which were handily beaten by either his Pidgeotto or Nidorino - both of whom continued to prove their growing penchant for winning battles against trainers who had been training their Pokémon probably for a good while longer than Red, and that also said quite a bit about Red's talent for training his partners. As they approached yet another ladder that led to the floors below, Red heard a hearty, bellowing voice call out to him,

"Whoahoho there lad, hold up a minute thar would ya!"

Red stopped in his tracks at the man's voice that echoed throughout the cave. "Hey mister, I'm in a bit of a hurry you see and..."

"Nonsense! You're a trainer and should be prepared to battle at a moment's notice, and this hiker is itching for a match!" The Hiker was a very large, barrel-chested man with a dark burly beard that covered most of his face. He wore a tan heavy hiking vest with a green turtleneck sweater underneath and red scarf around his neck. Strapped to his shoulders was a backpack that easily dwarfed Red's golden one several fold and even carried a sleeping bag on top of that. He by no means was antagonizing in his temperament and clearly just wanted a battle. Red wasn't exactly one to shy away from a Pokémon battle so he was more than willing to take the time for a match with the man.

"Alright then you've got it, mister! Bring it on!" Kirin and the Clefairy stood by as Red quickly sent out Beast. The Hiker lobbed a Poké Ball of his own onto the battlefield which revealed a Graveler, the first evolved state of Geodude. As a Graveler, it grows a second pair of arms that it used primarily for defending itself from frontal assaults, and a pair of legs that were short to be sure but legs nonetheless. On average, Graveler's body was also nearly thrice the size of its unevolved counterpart and its rocky body was covered in slate armor plating all over, making it even more of a defensive brute. Red's Nidorino clawed at the ground, ready to charge at the new challenger.

"This won't be as easy as taking on the Geodudes we've ran into, buddy, you'll have to play a different game with this Graveler," Red coached his Pokémon, "You've grown a lot stronger and faster in the last few hours so let's show that boulder your new speed and power!" Beast roared with excitement at the new challenge.

"That's some impressive coaching, laddie, but let's see you back it up with some action to your tongue-flappin. Graveler, we'll make the first move, use Rollout!" The boulder Pokémon spun rapidly in place like a wheel, kicking up the dirt and clay of the cave floor in all directions. It built up momentum for a few seconds and then shot forward with incredible speed for a Pokémon its size. Red made sure to use the linear attack to his own Pokémon's advantage - instructing Beast to hold its ground as the oncoming limbed boulder threatened to mow down anything in its path, before ordering, "Side-step and use Double Kick!" With a nod of acknowledgement, the Nidorino quickly strafed to the left as the hiker's Graveler approached, and then followed up with two kicks in rapid succession to the opposing Rock and Ground type just as it was passing by.

Both strikes connected perfectly, sending the Graveler far off its original intended course and skidding across the floor. The Rock/Ground Type was clearly winded, but its thick, slate armor plating had taken the brunt of the attack and allowed it to recover quickly. "Hahahaha not bad laddie, not bad at all!" the Hiker billowed. "It's not often something gives my Graveler a challenge in raw power, but this isn't over yet!"

Red nodded and readied Beast into a crouched, pouncing stance in preparation for the next attack. The Graveler rapidly spun, sideways this time, and burrowed into the ground to the point where it was no longer visible. Beast looked around cautiously, unsure of where its opponent was lurking. The strike came up from out of nowhere when the Graveler rapidly surfaced, striking Red's Pokémon with enough upward force to launch it into the air - no place for a Nidorino - and crashing back down to the ground. Beast shook off the attack and quickly rose back to its feet. He was tough, especially since his recent evolution, but Red could tell that Beast had taken a lot of damage from that last attack. _That had to be Dig, which would explain the large amount of damage Beast took - that Ground Type attack hits his Poison typing hard._

"Whoooooooboy! That Nidorino of yours is a real fighter, laddie!"

Ready to finish this match and get back to helping Clefairy kicking this gang of criminals out of Mt. Moon, Red acknowledged the compliment then issued Beast's next order, "Let's finish this Graveler off, pal - use Drill Run!" As he had become accustomed to as of late, Beast launched his body forward at his opponent. Beast's corkscrewing body was halted at the last second by the Graveler's larger, upper forearms. The arms clamped down on Beast like a powerful vice. "Graveler, use Smackdown!" Holding onto Red's Pokémon, Graveler leaped into the air and came crashing back down, forcing Beast down first with incredible force.

"Beast!" Red grabbed his hurt Pokémon's capsule, ready to call him back, as he watched the Graveler ready a repeat attack with him still in his clutches. He was about to call his Pokémon back in retreat, when Kirin shouted out a loud _Pi!_ as the Clefairy they had been helping threw what a appeared to be a twinkling rock the size of Red's fist at Beast's head. The rock and Beast began to glow with increasing rapidity in unison, followed by a large flash of light. Red knew what this meant but didn't understand why it was happening now. All he could do was watch as Beast more than doubled in size, breaking the Graveler's grasp on his body, now nearly reaching 5 feet in height, and stood upright on its hind legs. Its new bipedal stance revealed two powerfully developed forearms and a pure white underbelly. Beast's tail grew to be almost the full length of its body, and his ears, spikes, and horn all increased dramatically in size as well.

The Hiker stumbled backwards and fell on his backside from the shocking turn of events. He clearly hadn't expected his opponent to end up dwarfing his own Pokémon. Red snapped out of his own state of shock, and called out to his newly evolved Pokémon, "Beast, hit it with another Double Kick!" The Pokémon let out a mighty resounding roar and drew its right leg back before following up with the double strike that knocked Graveler clear across the massive cave room and left it out cold. "Yeah that's the way!" Red shouted as he leaped into the air and ran over to his victorious partner. "Beast, you evolved into a Nidoking! This is incredible; I feel like you just barely became a Nidorino!"

Kirin and the Clefairy came up behind the pair and Clefairy began pointing to the glittering bits of rock high along the cave wall and ceiling. The small pink Pokémon twirled in place while making chanting sounds and then pointed back to Beast. Bewildered, Red took off his cap and scratched at the top of his head. "So...are you trying to say that the Moon Stones in the cave evolved my Nidorino?" The Fairy Type Pokémon bowed and smiled in acknowledgement. "Well, thank you for that! It definitely helped us finish the battle a lot faster."

"Hey hey hey, not so fast there laddie. You may have managed to defeat Graveler, but I still have one more Pokémon up my sleeve." the Hiker cheerfully chided Red for thinking the match was through. "Graveler, return!" he recalled his exhausted Pokémon to its Poké Ball as he lobbed his last one forward, "Go...Onix!" This was an opponent that Red was all too familiar with at this point. Brock, Gym Leader of Pewter City, had nearly handed Red his first loss going up against his Onix. That time, Beast had evolved into Nidorino to overcome the rock serpent, but _This time..._ Red thought to himself, _this time I think someone deserves another shot at this thing._ He quickly called back his newly evolved Nidoking, and tossed out the Pokémon he had decided to finish this match with. The capsule burst open in a flash of bright light to reveal Red's Bulbasaur, who had been defeated against Brock's Onix. "This is your chance to take on another one of these things, BruteRoot; I know you can do it!" Red knew that it would be far from easy; inside Mt. Moon there wasn't any direct sunlight for BruteRoot to quickly fire off his signature Solarbeam attack. Instead it would have to charge up the necessary energy and Onix wasn't likely going to be keen on allowing the small Grass Type to have that large of a window of time. Another opportunity would have to present itself and if it didn't, they would just have to create that opening themselves.

"Smart move going with a Grass Type Pokémon, laddie, but it's looking a little on the timid side there. You sure that scrawny thing has what it takes?" the Hiker called out across the battlefield.

"BruteRoot has got more than what it takes, you'll see! Isn't that right, pal?" BruteRoot nodded, shaking off its weariness of facing the same type of Pokémon that it had lost to just earlier that morning. "We need to try and finish this fight as fast as possible, buddy; we have to get back to helping Clefairy. Do your best and we'll make it through on top!" Both trainers' Pokémon stood at the ready for their commands.

"Onix..." "BruteRoot..."

""GO!""

"BruteRoot, this time we'll start the offensive, use Razor Leaf!"

"Onix, smack those leaves out of the air!"

As BruteRoot fired its Razor Leaf salvo, the Onix wound its tail behind it and whipped it forward. The massive tail cleanly swatted away BruteRoot's attack. "Onix, it's our turn; coil around it to stop it from moving!"

"Ya gotta move out of the way fast, pal, dodge it!" The Onix lunged forward in an attempt to wrap around its opponent and force it into submission, but BruteRoot had dodged with hardly a second to spare. "That's it! Now follow up with Leech Seed!" The bulb on its back opened up and BruteRoot lobbed several large seeds through the air that attached themselves to the large rock snake. The Hiker tried telling his Pokémon to shake off the seeds but it was already too late, the seeds had opened up and grown into saplings that began to leech energy from their host victim. While the Onix was busy with its failed attempts at shaking off the attack, Red had planned out his last moves. "Put it to sleep buddy, use Sleep Powder!" A cloud of shimmering yellow dust sprayed from BruteRoot's bulb, blanketing the Onix. The combined strength of the Leech Seed's sapping power and the Sleep Powder's lulling properties quickly sent the Onix into a deep sleep. "Here's our chance, BruteRoot...charge up your Solarbeam attack!" A small orb of light began to materialize atop the Bulbasaur's bulb as it concentrated the energy it had absorbed during its times in the sunlight. The charge took several long seconds to reach its peak, but at last it had gained enough power from the photosynthetic energy. The attack was ready just in time as well, as Onix was beginning to stir, indicating that it was close to shaking off Sleep Powder's effects. A bright and powerful ray of sunlight shot forth as BruteRoot loosed its Solarbeam on its opponent for a perfect strike. The beam was more than powerful enough, even doing as much as knocking the massive rock snake backwards as it was exhausted of its energy to continue the battle. Red quickly rushed over to BruteRoot and hugged him for his strong victory as the Hiker recalled his defeated Onix.

"That was some mighty fine battling there, laddie! Even though we lost, my Pokémon and I are glad that we chose to challenge you; I think we learned a lot from you. Have a safe trip through the rest of the cave, laddie. I've seen some shady-looking characters roaming around the lower halls."

"Thanks mister; I'm glad that we battled too. We'll keep an eye out for those guys." Red thanked the Hiker, then called BruteRoot back into its ball and continued on his way, rejoining Kirin and Clefairy. They descended into what Red surmised to be the main area of the lower level of the cave. Here Red could see the glittering sparkle of Moon Stones in much higher density all along the ceiling and walls. The shine coming off of the stones in this room almost completely made up for the lack of any natural light and very few man-made lights in the area. They turned each corner carefully, staying on guard to avoid being caught off-guard by any Zubat swarms or Team Rocket goons. Red came upon a handful of young men and women clothed in the Team Rocket garb, and each time Kirin or Clefairy had swiftly defeated them and relieved them of their Pokémon. Red was determined to free and find new homes for every single Pokémon that was used by this criminal organization, recalling that he heard of a Pokémon orphanage in Cerulean City. Up ahead, he saw a large congregation of Rocket Grunts who looked like they were surrounding something. To get a better view Red removed the climbing rope from his pack and used it to quietly creep into a raised alcove along the wall. When he was able to see what was going on he was stunned. The Rocket Gang had surrounded a group of 6 Clefairy who were guarding a chunk of meteor that resembled a massive Moon Stone. The Team Rocket members taunted and jeered the frightened Fairy Type Pokémon, throwing rocks that they picked up off the ground at them.

Red had seen enough, "This stops now!" he shouted as he leaped from his position on the wall into the circle of Clefairy. Kirin followed suit and landed in front of its trainer, and the Clefairy they had been following, using its short wings, floated down beside them as well in defense of its fellow Pokémon. Red's patience had run out, both of his fists clenched tightly, "How dare you call yourselves Pokémon Trainers!" The gang laughed at the sight of the young trainer standing before them and attempting to judge their ethics. "Pokémon are neither tools of war, nor puppets to be used for breaking the law just for your own selfish goals, and the fact that you're threatening these Clefairy makes me sick!"

"The fact that you think we care about a word you just said is what's really the funny part, punk." one of the Rockets jeered. "You're going to find out the quick and hard way that Team Rocket doesn't take kindly to meddling brats!" another Rocket member called out. The Rockets all began to send out a collection of Rattata and Zubats, ready to overwhelm Red and Kirin. It was far from a fair fight as far as numbers went; there were at least two dozen Rocket Pokémon and only one Kirin. Red was going to have his hands full this time.

Kirin snarled and growled at the crooked excuses for trainers and began sparking with anger from the electricity storing sacks on his cheeks. All seven Clefairy began swaying back and forth and twirling in a trance-like motion while chanting in unison. The Clefairy that Red had been helping thus far slapped both hands against the face of the meteorite, causing both the rock and the Pokémon touching it to be enveloped in a familiar bright glow. After the light faded, the once rotund Clefairy had grown to more than double its original size and become more angular in shape. Its tail, pointed ears and wings had also received a size increase, completing its evolution into a Clefable. The Rockets looked taken by surprise, but they quickly channeled that into anger as they shouted at their Pokémon to attack. No sooner had they ordered their overwhelming assault, than Clefable glowed from its fingertips as it unleashed its signature move, Metronome upon the thugs. A glowing blue aura surrounded the Clefable and concentrated itself into a small orb of energy in front of the Pokémon's forehead.

"I think that's Psybeam..." Red said out loud as the orb of energy blasted outward in a brilliant rainbow beam of psychic energy that swept across the cave floor and knocked out the ground-bound Pokémon sent out by the Rockets. The Rockets' Zubats then began to swarm at the Clefable and Kirin in retaliation, using Supersonic and Leech Life against the two of them. Kirin sparked wildly all over its body and unleashed a Thundershock storm against the remaining Team Rocket Pokémon. The barrage of lightning quickly wiped them out and left the Rocket Grunts steaming in frustration at their speedy loss.

"Leave this place!" Red shouted at the group of thieves. "You have no business here and no right to be in here."

The Team Rocket members may not have wanted to listen to the young boy, but they had very little choice in the matter from the combination of Kirin, Clefable, and their own lack of Pokémon. And so they turned heel and ran. Once the Rockets were no longer within visual range, Red turned his attention to the Clefable and her Clefairy companions, all of whom looked very grateful for his help in ridding their home of the now fleeing thugs. Their Moon Stone was safe for now. Red, having successfully defended the cave's inhabitants, thanked the Clefable for her help and turned to continue on his way through the final stretch of the cave. As he was turning to leave, the Fairy Type Pokémon started to follow behind him and Kirin called out to her. Red stopped and the Clefable came up beside him and Kirin who hopped down to the ground and started to communicate with it. Kirin then turned back to Red and gestured to him in a way that suggested the Clefable wanted to tag along with him on a more permanent basis. "You want to come with us, Clefable? Your friends here can hold down the fort while you're gone?" The remaining six Clefairy slapped their hands against the Moon Stone and evolved into Clefables themselves. The Fairy Type smiled and nodded, holding its arms wide open. "Alrighty then, Clefable, I guess you're coming with us now!" Red reached into his pack, retrieved a Poké Ball capsule, and held it out. He pressed the capsule release button and the light shot out of it, enveloping the Clefable standing in front of him, and nestled it up into the ball. "Awesome, Kirin," he gleamed brightly, "We got Clefable now; that brings our team to 18!" Kirin shared in Red's excitement as he hopped back onto his shoulder and they continued on their way. They had traveled almost the entirety of the cave system at this point. The cave floor began to incline at an increasingly steeper rate. At the top of what appeared to be the last of the upward climb, Red saw the silhouette of another trainer. As he approached he could see that the trainer was very likely of the Super Nerd classification and was crouching down and dusting off what Red thought to be two slabs of stone. Roughly one foot in length along their longest edge, the stones were a pale white shade and had many complex nuances and striations to them. "What are those you have there?" Red finally asked the trainer, deciding that he would get answers more quickly that way.

"What? W-Who are you?" The Super Nerd jumped to his feet, surprised by the interruption.

"I'm Red, and I was wondering what you could tell me about those rocks you're dusting off there."

"Rocks? These? These are no mere stones, kid. They're Pokémon fossils! I found them and they're both mine!" The Super Nerd was clearly of a hostile demeanor and quickly sent out a Pokémon. This had been a day filled with firsts for Red, and the trend seemed to continue as the Pokémon, which smelled of sewage, bubbled up from a slimy puddle of indigo goo on the floor. Sludge dripped from the pair of semi-anthropomorphic arms that jutted out of either side of its barely solid torso. Each drop of the stuff that hit the floor hissed with the burn of a powerful acid and ate away at the ground. For another first, Kirin timidly hid behind Red's neck, not wanting to have anything to do with the Pokémon in front of them. "This is a Grimer," the Nerd explained, "they feed off of sludge and sewage - ergo the smell. But if you can withstand their odor long enough to train them, they have many amazing properties that can be taken advantage of in battle. Your Pikachu is exhibiting the effects of one of them: other Pokémon don't want to go near them, for fear of both the smell and the noxious sludge dripping all over their body. Just take a look at the deterioration effect it has on the cave floor," he gestured, "No Pokémon in their right mind would want that stuff on them."

 _This guy is right...Kirin can't get anywhere near that Grimer without risking serious injury. I'll have to use someone else. Clefable used Psybeam earlier against those Rockets but that was chosen at random from her using Metronome...I've got it! I'll fight Poison Type with another Poison Type!_ _Beast won't have to worry about the toxins because he already has that type's properties!_

"All I wanted was some information, but if it's a battle you want, then a battle you're getting. Just don't blame me for your loss!" Red shouted.

"Don't blame me when your Pokémon get hurt!"

Red grasped Beast's Poké Ball and tossed it forward. He had to jump backwards to avoid the swing of his Pokémon's huge tail. He wasn't used to the fact that in the span of a day, his feisty little Nidoran had already reached its peak evolutionary stage. _Man this has been one heck of a day._ Red thought to himself.

The opposing trainer scowled when he saw Red's Nidoking, realizing that his talk of poisoning Red's Pokémon was now nullified and mute. "Don't think for one second that your oversized pincushion is going to save you. This changes nothing! Grimer, Pound it into the floor!" The living pile of sludge lurched forward and extended its body 6 feet into the air with its lower half still grounded. It attempted to collapse itself onto the Nidoking but Beast was far too fast for it. He sidestepped to the left and then spun around, sweeping his violet-glowing tail across the ground and swiping right through Grimer's body and removing its midsection. The upper half of Grimer's body fell back onto the lower half, and fused itself back together as the Super Nerd laughed. "You fool! No Poison Type attack will work against a Grimer! Your Nidoking's Poison Tail is useless here."

Red scowled for a moment but quickly shrugged it off; _I didn't even know that Beast knew Poison Tail...Good to know about that for future battles._

"Your attitude is starting to get on my nerves."

"Oh boohoo I'm so sorry."

"Let's get on with this already." Red was feeling tired from the day's events, and his patience was shortening because of it. His encounters with the criminal organization, Team Rocket, had done nothing to improve his mood either. One more sighting of them and he might just snap. "Beast, I know that you're just as tired as I am, buddy, so let's finish this guy off quickly," he said as he patted his Pokémon's shoulder. "Do your stuff!" Beast dug its hind legs into the ground over and over before lunging forward with speed for his size that surprised even Red. He executed his Drill Run perfectly, even after his newly added bulk, having had lots of practice with it in the last 24 hours, and slammed into the Grimer with such force that it exploded in a rain of purple slime. The expression on the Super Nerd's face was incredulous as he stomped his feet into the ground in a tantrum over his loss.

"Fine, you can have a fossil too...but only one!" the Nerd shouted, making no effort to conceal his irritation. Red had only wanted to see what the Super Nerd had been pouring over, but with the chance to walk away with his own Pokémon fossil now, he wasn't about to tell him that. He hunched over to get a closer look at each of the two fossils that lay before him and his opponent from moments ago. The first of the two sat on the left and resembled a dome-shaped shell or carapace. The second fossil also resembled a large shell, however it was more complex in shape and it curled around itself multiple times. Both fossils clearly belonged to Pokémon that dwelled under the sea long ago and Red was fascinated by both of them; he would have loved to see what he could find out about them both, but he wasn't going to be selfish, despite having been the victor.

"I think I'll take this one here - the one shaped like a dome." Red announced as he gestured to the Dome Fossil.

"Fine. Then I'll take the one I have deemed 'Helix Fossil'." The Super Nerd called back his Grimer which had finally reconfigured its slimy self from the dozens of globs it had been blasted into, and then offered his hand out to Red. "I'm...sorry for overreacting there," he apologized as he adjusted his glasses, "I got a little skittish after having some weird people in black uniforms try and steal both fossils on multiple occasions. I saw the lot of them running for the hills not long ago; I suppose I have you to thank for that as well or I probably wouldn't even have this one fossil to take home. Thanks for that."

The two trainers shook hands and parted ways, and Red carefully slid his new fossil into the largest compartment of his pack; it barely fit. "That guy wasn't so bad once he calmed down, was he Kirin?" _Pi-ka?_ The Pikachu tilted its head at the question as they watched the Super Nerd head back the way they had initially came. Red retrieved his Nidoking and holstered the Poké Ball back onto his belt. "Let's get out of here, Kirin." His Pokémon lowered its long pointed ears, worried about his trainer's patience waning as well as fatigue setting in on both of them as they travelled the last leg of their journey through Mt. Moon. They turned one final corner and saw light pouring through the cave exit up ahead. Red was relieved to see the way out, not just for his own sake, but he knew that his Pokémon were in need of rest and a meal even more so from all the battles they had faced in the cave. Even Kirin was beginning to doze off on top of his shoulder. As he approached the opening that led back out into the open world, Red could taste the fresh air get stronger with each step. His progress was halted when two figures appeared in the opening, eclipsing the light from outside.

The two figures, a male and a female, looked to be young adults no more than a few years Red's senior and possessed matching fair skin. Both bore the large red 'R' on their chests that signified their allegiance to Team Rocket. Their uniforms, while matching one another, contrasted inversely with those of the Rockets that Red had encountered up until this point, and comprised of pure white clothing with black gloves and boots. The male stood a few inches taller than Red and had light violet, mid-length hair that was parted down the center, leaving his long bangs that reached to his jaw to just miss covering his emerald eyes. In his hand was a perfect red rose which he held with a careful grace to avoid pricking himself on the still present thorns. The female appeared to be equal in height were it not for the added inch or two from the front bump of her incredibly long, deep magenta hair that was slicked back and styled into one giant crescent arc that, to Red at least, seemed to defy the laws of gravity. Her uniform differed from her companion's in a number of ways. In place of the shirt and pants customary to team Rocket members, or at least those Red had come across today, she wore articles of clothing that far more accentuated her feminine features. Her top was white crop-top jacket of sorts bearing the Team Rocket 'R', beneath that was what appeared to be a black tube top piece that was skin tight. Her bare midriff led down to a pencil mini skirt followed by long black boots that cut off mid-thigh and matched the black gloves adorning the full length of her arms. The girl's piercing sapphire eyes and pulsing red lips fixated on Red as he stood several feet from the pair. Red could feel the fresh air flowing in from outside the cave exit and he craved more of it. Kirin growled from atop its trainer's shoulder at the sight of the human blockade, but also breathed heavily from the onset of fatigue. The female spoke up first, "My my, aren't you quite the cute little troublemaker."

"We've been watching you from afar and while we're impressed at your little heroic performance, we are quite displeased." chimed in the male with a voice that held the tone of a whisper. It contrasted to the sultry yet harsh voice of his female teammate as they seamlessly took turns speaking to Red, "You've stuck your nose far enough into Team Rocket's affairs for one day, brat," she hissed, "and we're not inclined to let you leave this place without recompense for your crimes against us."

This duo seemed different from the standard Rockets he'd seen so far and Red was ready for some answers. "Who are you people? And what do you want?"

The two looked at each other then back at Red and began laughing hysterically, clutching their sides until they finally caught their breath and each spoke up, "Oh yes, kid because we would love to take the time-" "-to explain our evil plan to the likes of you."

Red scowled. He didn't find it amusing that they were mocking him like a child. "I'll ask you again...who are you and what do you want?!" He was starting to fume.

The violet haired man narrowed his gaze at Red and sneered, "We are the ones who will punish you for your meddling with Team Rocket's plans to take over the world through the exploitation of Pokémon. Our group is dedicated to advancing our technology and profits through any means necessary such as stealing and experimenting on Pokémon - including yours!"

"On a more personal note, brat, I am Jessie." said the woman.

"And I am James." said the man.

Red's anger had reached a fever pitch now. There was no doubt in his mind that this Team Rocket organization would do whatever it takes to reach their goal of world domination, which was bad enough on its own without the experimenting on Pokémon. Red was clenching his fist and staring at the ground. When he looked up he saw Jessie and James each holding a Poké Ball. They looked ready to make good on their threat of taking his Pokémon for Team Rocket. _Over my dead body_.

"Prepare for trouble!" hissed Jessie as she elegantly threw her Poké Ball forward. "And make it double!" James shouted while throwing his in tandem. Jessie's thrown capsule burst open and unleashed an Ekans, a Pokémon that Red had encountered earlier on his way to Mt. Moon, but this one was much larger and possessed a much darker demeanor. The ball thrown by James opened to reveal a Pokémon that was new to Red. It had a mostly spherical violet body, with what looked like a littering of miniature volcano cones protruding all over. Every few seconds several of those cones expelled small clouds of a noxious green gas. The only other notable feature was a white marking that resembled a skull, and crossbones near its underside. He quickly consulted his PokéDex in preparation for the inevitable battle that would follow.

 _Koffing - the Poison Gas Pokémon: Lighter-than-air gases in its body keep it aloft. These gases not only smell, but if Koffing becomes agitated enough it can raise the toxicity of them and will jet them out from all over its body. This Pokémon may also overinflate and explode..._

"Explode...Good enough for now," Red said as he quickly closed and put away the PokéDex, "I'll just have to be cautious of that exploding part."

Red had already been in many battles since beginning his journey, but this wasn't going to be a standard fair fight, it was a 2-on-1 handicap and he needed to even the odds. Cerulean City was almost within reach. He needed only to get past these Jessie and James characters before he and his Pokémon could finally get some rest. Red wasn't going to play any games with these guys and it was clear that they weren't here to make empty threats either. Everyone in the team he'd been building since leaving Professor Oak's lab, save for Magikarp, had fought a multitude of battles for him today. They were all running on fumes and Red shared that sentiment. _Everyone except..._ Having made his decision he rested his hand on the center ball of his belt, the Gemini Ball, removed it and grasped it firmly in his left hand with fire burning behind his eyes. Red extended his left arm, holding the ball tightly. The capsule itself visibly emanated a warm crimson glow and he felt heat surging up from within the Gemini Ball and adding its energy to his own. _Alright brothers, I need your help...Please fight with me!_

"Vulcan, Ashgar...I choose you!"

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

This was easily the largest chapter thus far, and for good reason. A lot goes on within the space between the first and final pages of this entry. Red and Kirin have their first Pokemon battle together, one that went quite well, and we become acquainted with the nefarious Team Rocket! Beast evolved very quickly from the time Red first captured the Nidoran to becoming a Nidorino in his match against Brock, and now evolving further still while facing off against a Hiker! While that final evolution was not necessarily on Red's to-do list, it wasn't without its merits. That being said, it probably won't be without its own consequences as well, but only time will tell! Were you surprised to see Jessie and James? I hope you were, and pleasantly at that, because I had a ton of fun writing them into the story. A few things to keep in mind with the Rocket Duo: don't expect to see any talking Meowths in this story; I thought long and hard about it while conceptualizing the narrative and determined that it would be more of a detriment than a boon, as I want this story to take on a much more serious tone than its anime counterpart. Next, the characters, Jessie and James themselves will be far darker and capable, and the never-ending failed attempts at capturing Pikachu will not be a thing here. Finally, don't expect the infamous Team Rocket Motto every time they make an appearance, because they WILL certainly be back, as that will not be a thing either.

What are your thoughts on this chapter? Did you like the appearance of Team Rocket and the darker tone that they take in CoF? How about the subtle nods and parallels to the TV series with Red aiding the Clefairy in protecting their home? What about Kirin's and Beast's respective matches, did you enjoy those as well? Comment and PM me!


	18. The Delta Flame!

**The Delta Flame!**

A golden light flared from within the Gemini Ball and lit up the entire cave room. The blinding flash was accompanied by the call of two Charmanders crying out in unison, _Chaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrr!_

Their simultaneous cry echoed through the cave, from one entrance to the other and the two Team Rocket members standing before Red had to leap backwards in order to avoid the jet stream of flame that shot forth from each of the Pokémon. _At the very least, these guys are quick on their feet. Anyone else would have gotten themselves fried to a crisp. I have to take these guys seriously – no more games. The brothers haven't had a real match on our journey yet, so this is where we find out how the countless hours, days, months and years of training with mom paid off!_

"Are you ready to lose your Pokémon, brat?" hissed Jessie, her voice still a sultry sort of venom pursing from her lips. "Team Rocket has had enough of your antics for one day!"

"All will be well, Jessie. This munchkin is about to pay dearly for his actions. Do you hear that, boy? Your actions have consequences!" James shouted at Red, breaking what had been a disturbingly calm demeanor up to this point. Recomposing himself, he threw his rose stem-first into the ground in front of them, a deathly glare fixed on Red and his Pokémon. "Shall we begin?"

"Yes, James, we shall indeed."

""For the glory of Team Rocket – that is our creed!"" Jessie and James blared at once.

Jessie's Ekans lined up across from Ashgar - on Red's left, and James' Koffing on his right – facing Vulcan. Red's team had all been put to the test to some degree over the last few days, but he hadn't yet had an opportunity to use the twins. Or rather, he hadn't needed to.

"Ekans, Poison Sting attack!"

"Koffing, use your Poison Gas!"

The snake Pokémon's tail tip took on a deep purple sheen as it fired off ultra thin slivers of poisonous fluid at Ashgar. At the same time, Koffing closed its eyes and mouth, as though it was holding its breath, and expanded to twice its normal size before releasing a noxious, olive green gas so foul, so rank that Red could feel his stomach turn over and nearly force vomit out. The stench was unbearable, to say at the very least, and Red buried his face in the sleeve of his shirt as he attempted to take in a clean deep breath to get him through at least a few moments of the battle.

"Vulcan…Ashgar, I need you both to use your Smokescreen and buy us all some time." Red quickly took another breath after issuing the order. As the Rocket Pokémon attacked a billowing cloud of dark smoke caught them off-guard and halted their forward progress. With the offensive temporarily staved, the two Charmanders quickly jumped back to their brother's side, awaiting their strategy for the battle. "Alright guys, that smoke won't hold them off forever, we have to go on the offense here. We don't have much time so we need to strike hard and fast. These guys aren't normal trainers by any means; they're criminals and they're dangerous. I don't know what they are capable of, but I do know that they will stop at nothing to achieve their goals: take over the world using Pokémon!" Vulcan and Ashgar didn't like the sound of that one little bit and roared in unison at such an outrage. "I'm sorry that I have to ask you to fight, but I have no other choice and I know you two can do it." The two Fire Type Pokémon nodded in understanding. Just then, they noticed James' Koffing inhaling the smoke, inherently clearing it out of him and his partner's way. "Let's get to work, guys." _Charr!_

"Are you quite finished hiding, twerp?" the wicked, if not attractive in a devious and sultry sort of way, female Rocket fired.

"We don't have all day and night to waste on the likes of you." James scowled with his cold and cruel eyes still sending chills down Red's spine. "Koffing, use your Smog attack and make those orange insects feel the pain of your poison!"

"It's high time we showed this twerp what happens when you cross Team Rocket; Ekans, bind them with Wrap and then Bite them until they yield!" Jessie's Ekans sprung forward out of its coiled position with incredible speed, only nearly missing the twins as they strafed in opposite directions away from their assailants. Landing across from one another, the twins brandished their claws as they shone like steel and leaped forward to counterattack.

"Vulcan, Ashgar…Metal Claw!"

The Charmanders moved in unison, swiping at the snake Pokémon with their claws and sending it crashing into the ground.

"That's the way!" But before Red could celebrate, the end of Ekans' tail coiled around Ashgar's leg and pulled hard. Ashgar lost his balance and fell backwards, giving the Poison Type snake an opening to strike back.

"Ekans, used Bite again!" Jessie called out as her Pokémon bit down hard on Ashgar's shoulder, causing him to cry out in pain.

James saw an opening to put more pressure on Red's Pokémon and decided to launch an attack of his own. "Koffing, let's knock that lizard out now, use Tackle!" Koffing flung its body through the air, hurtling itself towards the struggling Fire Type. Its attack was quickly halted by a loud cry, _Chaaaaaarrr!,_ as Red called out to his Pokémon, "Vulcan, use Ember to save your brother; Ashgar, Growl and follow it up with Scratch!" Vulcan whipped its tail around and fired a ball of flame that caught Koffing squarely in the face, knocking it away. Ashgar took in a deep breath and opened his mouth wide, unleashed its Growl which caused Ekans to loosen its grip in an attempt to get away from the harsh noise. Vulcan rushed to his brother's side and helped him get up as their pair of Poison Type opponents regrouped.

"Not bad, twerp," Jessie hissed.

"But we're hardly ready to give up this match." James scoffed.

"That's fine by me," Red replied as he adjusted his cap and his Charmanders jumped back to his side, "because we're far from done in here." The twins nodded in unison and looked eager to continue and were poised to strike.

"I'll relent, your little lizards have put up more of a fight than we anticipated, but you're leagues away from beating us." Jessie was laughing confidently and James held a smirk on his face of the same nature.

 _Those two are up to something…have they been toying with me?_ Red didn't have time to finish his thoughts, for just as soon as he had questioned his opponent's strategy, Jessie and James ordered their Pokémon to resume their assault. "Ekans, freeze them in place with your Glare!"

 _What?!_

Red was caught off-guard and could react in time. Ekans' eyes gleamed with a bright orange and flashed at the two Charmanders. When they tried to counterattack, their bodies took on a yellow glow and they found themselves unable to move. Koffing lurched towards them and vomited out a large pool of violet gunk as James called for it to use its Sludge attack. Unable to move out of the way, the Charmanders could only stand in place as the toxic Sludge covered the both of them.

"No!" Red yelled as he rushed over to his Pokémon that at this point had taken a lot of damage. "Are you guys alright?!" He tried to put his hands on them but they growled at him to stay back. The yellow aura that signified their paralysis faded and the two quickly turned to face one another and fired Ember at each other, burning away the Sludge from their bodies. "I understand now. You guys didn't want me to get any of that stuff on me…thanks you guys," Red smiled at his brothers, "you're doing great."

"This is all very touching but we still have your Pokémon to steal." James called out.

"You want my Pokémon, huh? Well here they are, come and get it!" Red yelled at the Team Rocket duo, "Vulcan, Ashgar, Delta Attack!" The Charmanders crouched into a pouncing stance before leaping forward at their opponents. When they got near to Ekans and Koffing, they halted and shot out in opposite directions, bouncing off the cave walls and using their continued momentum to head towards Team Rocket's Pokémon with even greater speed and force. Red called out to his Pokémon, "Fire Punch…Flame Burst, now!" As the two Fire Types screamed through the air, they did so with such speed that they left a trail behind them that resembled an arrowhead. Ashgar's right fist glowed red hot and caught on fire just as it connected with Ekans. At the same time, Vulcan loosed a large fireball from his open maw that collided with James' Koffing. Both Poison Type Pokémon were sent flying backwards through the air and crashing to the ground. Jessie and James had to both strafe to opposite sides in order to avoid being slammed into by their own Pokémon.

"Curses," Jessie spat, "this brat is getting on my nerves!"

"Relax, Jessie, we'll finish the boy off and be on our way. We don't need to waste any more time on him. Remember what the boss said our ultimate goal was? Minor annoyances along the way to Team Rocket's success mean nothing." James was clearly acting as the voice of reason to calm Jessie's building rage at this moment.

"You're right, James. Let's be done with this twerp. I'm tired of caves." Their Pokémon returned to their trainers' side and despite the attack they had just taken moments before, didn't even blink at their trainers' desire to continue. "Ekans, use Leer!" The snake's eyes flashed white, stunning the Charmanders who quickly tried to shake of Leer's dizzying effects. "Now use Glare to paralyze them again!"

 _No, not again!_ An Orange gleam shot from Ekans' eyes once again and thanks to the twins still being stunned, they were more susceptible to Glare's paralysis. "Ekans, return!" Jessie shouted as she recalled her Pokémon into its capsule and with a wicked smirk across her lips began to head to the exit.

"Frozen in place with nowhere to go are we?" James mocked Red's Charmanders. "Koffing, finish them off…" as the words left James' lips and knowing what was to follow, Red began to run over to his helpless Pokémon with all he could muster, "Self-Destruct!"

Out of instinct, Red threw himself in front of Vulcan and Ashgar and turned his back towards the Koffing that was ready to unleash its signature attack, wherein it combines the various gases in its body and explodes, causing not only the user to pass out, but also almost certainly any Pokémon in its immediate vicinity to faint as well. Kirin, who had been resting atop Red's head up to this point, slid down to his trainer's chest and clung tightly to his shirt. Red threw his arms around his Pokémon, shielding them as best he could.

"You put up quite the fight, we'll give you that, but in the end you just a twerp." Mocked Jessie, her lips filled with as much venom as her Ekans' fangs. "Perhaps if you had the same killer instinct that we do, things might have gone better for you. So sad."

"Truth be told, you may have even won, but your softness was evident enough that we were able to take ample advantage and win. So sorry, but you lose today." James' words were simple but true. All Red could do was hold his breath as James' Koffing glowed bright white followed by an explosion that echoed throughout the entire cave. Debris from the cave ceiling began to fall down around Red and his Pokémon as he continued to cover them. Amidst the sound of falling stalactites and chunks of rock crashing down around them, Red heard James recall his fainted Koffing and laugh as he and Jessie escaped through the exit of Mt. Moon.

 _It can't end like this…I won't let it!_

Red heard a soft cry from the other side of the rocks that covered him and his Pokémon. He could have sworn he had heard it somewhere before, but exactly where was what escaped his memory's grasp. The rocks and cave debris that covered them seemed to barely touch them at all, almost as if they were held in place by some unseen force. Either that or they had miraculously fallen just perfectly so as not to have crushed him or any of his Pokémon. Red wasn't sure which the case was, but he was grateful for either at this point. "Vulcan and Ashgar, I need you guys to use Metal Claw to get us out of here. Can you do that for me?" The Charmanders both responded with a quick swipe at the surrounding stone, hurtling the boulders and debris off of the group. Red put his arms around the two Charmander and hugged them. "Thank you so much for fighting alongside me guys. We couldn't have made it out of here without you."

 _Chaaarrr!_

Red quickly returned his Pokémon to the Gemini Ball and reattached it to the front of his belt. It was time to get out of this cave. "I'm not so sure I care to go spelunking again anytime soon, Kirin…" he said aloud, exhausted.

 _Pi?_

"Yeah…let's get out of here. We still have to make it to Cerulean City from here."

Kirin resumed his perch atop Red's shoulder and they headed towards the light.

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Red meant business against Team Rocket. They cleary leave a really sour taste in his mouth. As you can see, Red only calls out Vulcan and Ashgar when his need is most dire, so you might have surmised that they are not technically a part of his Pokemon League challenge team, in which case you would be correct. The twins are indeed separate from Red's eventual Sensational Six that he'll challenge Gyms and the like with, but fear not: they hold a very deep level of importance in Child of Fire and they will continue to make appearances in battles and other instances as well.

I hope you enjoyed Red's battle against the dark duo of Jessie and James; as you can see, they are far more capable in Pokemon battles than they are in the animated series. This battle marks an important point for Red, as he now has added a new purpose to his journey across Kanto: take down Team Rocket!

Digressing back to the topic of the twins, Vulcan and Ashgar battle far differently than Red's other Pokemon. They fight _alongside_ Red, in sync, rather than battling _for_ him. This stems from their relationship with him being very symbiotic, as brothers and guardians, and it is also how Deliah, Red's mother, taught them to fight with him. Regarding Deliah, I have plans to, at some point, do a flashback of sorts that details the period of time when she was training the three fiery-hearted boys. Is that something you guys would look forward to? You know the drill!


	19. A Cerulean Challenge

**A Cerulean Challenge**

Red finally stepped out into the fresh air for the first time in hours. The scent of the flowers, trees, and grass along Route 4 were revitalizing and gave him the strength he desperately needed to reach Cerulean City. It was late in the evening and the sun's final rays of daylight were quickly fading behind Mt. Moon, a place that Red was all too happy to bid farewell to after his harrowing trip through the cave. The mountain had tested his abilities more than he had expected and the fatigue on his face was all but palpable. For a moment, he just stood in place and looked down at the ground as he attempted to catch his breath. After drumming up the will to continue he pressed forward, but his strength was fading rather quickly.

"I promised Professor Oak that I would complete the PokéDex for him and catch every Pokémon in the world, Kirin, but I think that task is going to have to continue tomorrow. All of you need your rest; you've all fought so hard for me today."

As he made his way down Route 4, Red could see many wild Pokémon nestling into their dens and nests for the night. He wanted to catch more Pokémon, but he also didn't want to disturb their rest, and his team needed some serious rest of their own, so he held back the urge to make any more captures for today. He passed by two adult males who looked to be garbed in karate gi. The two men were both sitting cross-legged and parallel to one another, and lay perfectly still. They appeared to be in a meditative state of some sort, so he didn't want to disturb them. He did, however, notice what looked to be two different Pokémon that sat back-to-back against each of the meditating men.

"I wonder what kind of Pokémon those are, Kirin, what do you think?"

 _Piiika…_

"You're right. It can wait until tomorrow. We all need some shut-eye."

Kirin simply nodded in response as it began to doze off atop its trainer's shoulder. It was late when Red finally arrived at the edge of Cerulean City, having made good time reaching here from Mt. Moon due to his determination for getting his Pokémon healed at the local Pokémon Center. The lights in the city were on but Red had ignored everything around him and made a b-line straight for the tell-tale Poké Ball sign of the clinic that he had immediate need of. The glass doors slid open with a _ding_ and Red gave the nurse behind the counter a look of urgency the moment he stepped through them.

Skipping her usual spiel, the nurse instead came around the counter and held out her arms to keep the now stumbling trainer from falling to the floor. "Please let me see your Pokémon, young man, and we'll see to getting you all back to fighting-fit in no time."

"Thank you, miss." Red responded as he tried his best to quickly retrieve all of his Pokémon and hand them to the young, pink-haired woman who immediately made haste to the clinic healing machine behind the counter, with Kirin lying on her Poké Ball tray. As soon as she had left his side, Red slumped to the floor in exhaustion. He sat there for several moments, until the nurse gave him confirmation of his team's restoration. Once he knew his Pokémon were alright, Red mustered up the strength to rise to his feet and drag himself over the counter to retrieve them.

"Thank you for waiting, young man. Your Pokémon are all fighting-fit. Now allow me to show you to our quarters for you to rest up at as well and I will call for a hot meal to be brought to you." The nurse offered.

Red was grateful for this and followed her to a small room with a similarly describable bed that would suit him just fine for the time being.

The next morning Red rose early and got himself put together to resume his journey. Cerulean was known in Kanto as the, 'Floral Lagoon City', and its beauty lived up the moniker. Walking down the lightly populated streets as people began to stir in the early morning was relaxing and refreshing. Red's first order of business was to reach the Pokémon Orphanage and turn over the Pokémon he had confiscated from Team Rocket in Mt. Moon the day prior. The city was large and he had a lot that he wanted to accomplish today, so rather than wander around for hours, Red reached into his pack and retrieved his Town Map. The holographic interface automatically detected his position and displayed a detailed map of Cerulean. "Alright, Kirin, now that I have this pulled up we can plan out our day accordingly and know where we have to go to get where we want to be." _Pi!_ He located the Orphanage not far from his current position and was there within minutes.

"Hello! Welcome to our home for orphaned Pokémon!" A lovely young woman with raven hair and dark skin spoke in a motherly tone of voice. "Here we care for Pokémon who are lost, abandoned, or abused, until they are picked up by a new, loving, family. How may I help you today young man?"

"Hello, my name is Red and I'm traveling from Pallet Town." Red began "I was passing through Mt. Moon and encountered a gang of criminals calling themselves 'Team Rocket'. They were using and abusing Pokémon and so I took it upon myself to confiscate the Pokémon they had on them and figured that your facilities would be better suited for taking care of them than I would."

"Oh my goodness, you came across Team Rocket?!" The woman sounded horrified. In truth Red had never heard of them before his Mt. Moon encounter with the group, but seeing as he was from a very small town, it was quite possible that the gang was notorious throughout other areas of the region.

"Yes ma'am, I did," Red explained his story, or a cliff-notes version of it rather, as he removed his backpack and took out the Poké Balls containing the confiscated Pokémon. There were roughly two dozen, and the woman had a look on her face that told Red she was a bit overwhelmed by the large number of Pokémon they were going to have to take on at once. "I'm sorry, I know there are a lot of them."

"M-my goodness, yes there are! May I ask why you are unable to keep any of them with you?"

It was a reasonable question, one which Red had considered himself ever since procuring them in the cave. "Well, the truth is that even though I am a Pokémon trainer and would seemed perfectly suited for taking any number of them in, these Pokémon have been under the hand of Team Rocket, a criminal organization that I hadn't heard of until yesterday, but it only took one meeting to understand that they have no regard for Pokémon whatsoever." Red explained with deep sorrow and passion in his voice. "They probably have been forcing them to battle in ways that Pokémon should not ever do and I don't think that it would be fair of me at all to ask any one of them to come along with me on my journey to the Pokémon League – a journey that will be riddled with even more battles."

"Young man, that has to be the single most gentle-hearted and selfless thing I have ever heard anyone say." The woman had tears in her eyes, clearly touched by Red's words. She walked up to him and knelt down, standing quite a bit taller than he was, and kissed him on the cheek. Red was a little surprised and turned his head away quickly to hide his flushed cheeks. The woman giggled and she stood back up and carefully took the Poké Balls with her behind the front desk and began entering in the various Pokémon into their registry. As she was doing this one of the capsules began to shake and glow before it burst open to release a Zubat that fluttered in the air in front of Red. The small, blue-bodied bat had no eyes and purple, membrane wings. It had no real feet to speak of, and its 'legs' looked closer to two antenna protruding from its body.

"What the-" Red was taken aback by the sudden appearance of the Poison and Flying Type Pokémon. He reached into his pocket to consult his PokéDex.

 _ZUBAT: Even though it has no eyes, it can sense obstacles using ultrasonic waves it emits from its mouth. Zubat remains quietly unmoving in a dark spot during the bright daylight hours, because prolonged exposure to the sun causes its body to burn._

The woman gestured to the fluttering Pokémon, "It looks like I wasn't the only one who was touched by your words, young man," she offered, "I think that this Zubat would like to stay with you." She then tossed Red the Poké Ball it had been in.

"Is that true, Zubat? Do you want to travel with me and my team?"

The Poison Type emitted a screech as it fluttered in circles around Red, who took that as a yes.

"I promise that you'll be well taken care of with me, Zubat," he said as he held out the capsule and returned the Pokémon within it, "return!" He smiled and turned back to the young woman. "Thank you for taking in the rest of those Pokémon. Please find them good families as soon as possible; they deserve to be cared for and not abused like they were."

"We will, young man. Take care out there." She said as she waved Red goodbye.

"We gained another friend this morning, Kirin. What do you think the rest of the day holds?"

 _Pi-ka!_

"Only one way to find out: let's keep moving!"

Red strode south along the now considerably busier streets, passing shops that had various Water Type Pokémon-themed statues and gifts displayed in the windows. He considered going inside and buying something but quickly changed his mind upon seeing the price tags. One shop caught his attention right away when he saw the sign out front that read, 'Miracle Cycle Bike Shop'. Red pushed the glass door open with a _ding_ and was wide-eyed when he saw the immense number of bikes on display throughout the store floor.

"Wow, Kirin, have you ever seen so many bikes in one place?"

 _Pi?_

"Me neither...I wonder how much they are. A bike would make getting around a whole lot faster!"

He approached the sales clerk sitting behind the counter. "Welcome to Miracle Cycle, m'boy! Our bikes are the best around; you can ride them anywhere!"

 _"_ _Anywhere"? I find that highly unlikely…_ "Hi there, mister, I'm interested in one of your bikes. How much are they?" Red inquired.

"Well, m'boy, they're usually out of the price-range of a youngster such as yourself, but for you I think I'll make a special discount exception!" The clerk responded. This excited Red, who was worried that he may not be able to afford a bike of his own at this point with what little money he had on him from winning battles against other trainers over the last few days.

"That sounds great, how much?"

"For you, only $1,000,000!" offered the clerk.

Red's face turned as blue as his rival's name and stumbled over his words in response,

"Uhhhh….ummm…I don't think I can afford that right now…"

 _Pi…_ Even Kirin was aghast at the outrageous price of the bicycle.

Without so much as flinching the salesman waved them out. "Feel free to come back when you can afford one of our world-famous bikes!"

Red took his hat off and scratched his head once he stepped back outside. The idea of a bike costing such a crazy amount of money was to him just that, crazy. Both he and his Pikachu were still a bit blue in the face from the shock. "Maybe I just don't understand how the rest of the world works, Kirin, and that price is actually reasonable…maybe." He tried to reason with the idea. "I have spent most of my life in Pallet Town and we are somewhat out of the way of everything else, so my understanding of the world is a bit limited at the moment…But hey, that's why I'm on an adventure, right? I'm out here to learn and grow and discover. Who knows what we'll learn next!" His composure regained, Red consulted his map once again – pulling up the holographic interface. "Hmmm…I'm not quite ready to tackle – heheh – the Cerulean City Gym just yet. The map shows a cottage of sorts on the cape just north of town past Routes 24 and 25. How's about we check that out, Kirin?"

 _Pika-pi!_ Kirin responded enthusiastically at the notion.

"Great! You and the team could use a mini vacation and the cape sounds perfect for that. Let's do it!"

With Kirin atop his shoulder, Red strode towards the north gate out of town. Along the way, young boys and girls had awed at his Pikachu, it being amongst the most popular of all Pokémon with young children and adults alike. Upon reaching Route 24, Red heard a voice calling out to him and saw a figure that was hidden by the blinding sun, running towards him. He could somewhat make out the silhouette thanks to the high spiked hair and the sound of his voice. _Oh great…not this guy again._

"Yo, Red! You're _still_ struggling along back here?" asked Blue with his usual flair of arrogance, "Well I'm doing great! I've caught a bunch of strong and smart Pokémon!"

Red knew what was coming next at this point and felt he was ready for it.

"Here, Red let me see what you've caught!" Blue snickered out as he tossed a Poké Ball off of his belt. The capsule burst open and out came a Pidgeotto that soared into the air, just like Red's. Blue had clearly been working on his team since last they met, and his Pidgey having evolved was proof-positive of that. Unsure of what Pokémon his rival had added to his team since their battle days ago on Route 22, Red decided that it was best to play it safe here with his Pokémon Type match-ups. He held out his arm and Kirin darted down the length of it and onto the battlefield.

"Kirin, you've got the advantage here with your typing, so let's go all out and finish him off quickly!"

 _Pi!_

"Impressive, Red, you managed to find a rare Pikachu! But rarity isn't everything; let's see what your little mouse has under the hood – Pidgeotto, hit it with your Gust!" Blue's Pidgeotto responded quickly to its trainer's commands, pulling back its wings and beating them forward with tremendous strength and generating multiple, large gusts of wind. The Gust attack headed straight for Kirin who rolled to the side, dodging each attack.

"Now's your chance to counter, pal," Red shouted over the sound of the gusts, "Quick Attack!" Kirin took on a white glow and darted forward, leaping off of a nearby boulder to gain enough height to reach for the attacking bird Pokémon.

"You think you're pretty smart don't you, Red? Well, two can play that game!" Blue sneered, "Pidgeotto, we'll use Quick Attack too!" The Flying Type took on the same white glow and zipped through the air in a zigzag motion to meet its Electric Type opponent head-on. The two clashed with each other head-on in a mid-air collision, with neither party giving way to the other. "Break the stalemate, Pidgeotto, use Gust again!" Again, the bird of prey beat its wings, but this time the attack was point-blank and connected with Red's Pikachu, knocking it back down to the ground.

"You've still got this, Kirin, let's pick up the pace – hit it with a Thunder Shock!" _Pika!_ Kirin clenched its little arms in towards his chest and sparked for a split second before it loosed a shower of arching electric energy at Blue's Pidgeotto. The arms of blue lightning bolts tore through the air and connected with their intended opponent, smacking the bird out of the sky.

"Pidgeotto…return!" Blue recalled his first Pokémon while tossing another Poké Ball forward. "Rattata, don't give him any time to regroup, use Quick Attack to close the distance and follow up with Tail Whip!" The purple rat Pokémon darted quickly at the Pikachu and just before it was going to connect with its initial attack, changed moves. Rattata got as low to the ground as it could and rapidly spun its body, tripping Kirin up with its curled tail. "Perfect," Blue called out, "now finish it off with Bite!"

"Kirin, you have to get out of there, use Quick Attack to get away!" Responding before Red could finish, Kirin glowed white and sprung to its feet, using its tail like a coil for added momentum, and darted away just as Blue's Rattata bit down hard at the air that the Pikachu had just occupied. "That's the way, Kirin! Now dart back and use Play Nice to lower his attack!" Red's Pikachu used the same boulder as before as a launch pad to get close to Rattata before bouncing and twirling around it in a playful manner. The odd maneuver caught Blue by surprise, as his Rattata's eyes began to swirl in dizziness. "Let's limit its movements now with Thunder Wave!" Like rippling waves in a lake, Kirin sparked and sent a wave of white electric current to paralyze its opponent. The technique connected and the Rattata sparked all over its body and was unable to move. "Now one more Quick Attack ought to do the trick, buddy!" Kirin glowed white again and dashed forward, but just as he was going to connect with the finishing blow, the paralyzed Pokémon glowed with a crimson aura all over.

"Hahaha you made a big mistake by going for a direct attack, Red!" Blue scoffed.

"What? How could I have made a mistake?" Red was perplexed.

"You forgot about Rattata's ability, Guts! When he gets afflicted by any status condition, including paralysis, his attack gets raised by fifty percent! Rattata, end that mouse with your Sucker Punch attack!" Rattata didn't need to be quick, as Red's Pikachu was within striking range already. His front paws lashed out, taking on a black, shadowy glow, and smacked Kirin right in the face as he cried out before passing out, unable to continue the battle.

"Sucker Punch allows Rattata to attack first, no matter the speed differential between him and his opponent, rendering your paralysis strategy useless! That's one for one so far, Red," Blue continued his scoffing, "What are you bringing out next?"

"This battle is far from over, Blue," Red fired back as he recalled his exhausted Pikachu, "Kirin…return! Your foe's weak, Talon, get him!" He tossed Talon's Poké Ball into the air as his Pidgeotto burst out from within it with a vengeful cry for its fallen comrade. "We can't afford to let him use that move again, Talon, blind him with Sand Attack!" Talon gave a loud cry and beat its wings hard at the ground causing all manner of sand and dust to kick into Rattata's face. While the small purple rat tried to get the debris out of its eyes, Red took the opportunity to regain his advantage. "Use Gust!" Talon's wings generated just about enough wind to practically knock over small trees, but Red settled for the outcome of Blue's Rattata being blown several feet backwards and left too tired to continue. "How's that, Blue?"

"Hmph! Whatever, I still have plenty of Pokémon left to take you down with, Red!" Blue recalled his fainted Rattata to its capsule and sent out his next Pokémon, one that Red recognized from his studies as an Abra, a Psychic Type Pokémon. Its head was shaped like a star, with pointed ears, and had perpetually closed eyes. Its 2 foot tall body was mostly a golden yellow with the exception of dark brown shoulder paldrons and a matching horizontal stripe near the tip of its long, pointed tail. The Pokémon's clawed hands and feet were crossed in a state of meditation, as it appeared to be sleeping, and it levitated just inches off of the ground. "Let's see how fast your bird is against this!"

Red knew that Psychic Type Pokémon were incredibly powerful and the Abra evolutionary line was exceptional even among those. He had to hope that Blue hadn't been able to train it very much yet. "Alright, Talon, let's test this thing out – use Quick Attack!" Talon glowed bright white and shot forward through the air, but just as he was inches from his target, the Abra glowed white as well and disappeared into thin air. "What? What happened?"

"Bahahaha! What happened? Abra used Teleport, that's what happened! Abra can sense what's going on in its surroundings and use Teleport to avoid danger, even while it sleeps!"

"C'mon Talon, try to hit it, use Gust and then Quick Attack again!" Talon's wings generated as powerful of gusts as he could muster and then tried attacking head-on from the opposite direction. Each time it came close to connecting however, Abra would use Teleport at the last second and avoid the strike. After repeated failed attempts, Talon was tiring out and didn't notice that its Psychic Type opponent had positioned itself in front of a large boulder. When he tried again to attack head-on, his attack connected, but not at all with the intended target. Instead, Red's Pidgeotto had smashed into the boulder and caused itself to faint. "Oh no, Talon! Are you alright?!" Red rushed over to his exhausted Pokémon and could tell that both his beak and right wing were badly hurt. He gently picked his Pokémon up into his arms and carefully recalled him to his Poké Ball.

Blue tapped his fingers against his crossed arms impatiently as he watched Red stand silent for several moments. "Hey, man are you gonna continue or are you gonna throw in the towel?" he sneered in his typical manner.

"Shut up!" Red yelled in an outburst. He was seething; Talon had been the first Pokémon that he had caught all on his own, and had been through many battles with him over the last few days. Seeing his companion and friend in the injured state he was made him boil over uncharacteristically, shocking even Blue who took a step back at the outburst. Red's eyes began glowing with an uncanny bright blue hue.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Chill out man!" Blue shouted, part annoyed, part frightened.

Red started to simmer down as he grabbed hold of his next Poké Ball, "BruteRoot, let's do this!" his tone was still noticeably changed as he called out his next Pokémon. His Bulbasaur, though weary of its trainer's demeanor, was ready to go. "Fire off a salvo of Razor Leaf directly at Abra and wait for my mark to follow up with Stun Spore." Red said in his Pokémon's ear, to which it nodded in acknowledgement. "Razor Leaf attack!" A barrage of razor-edged leaves fired at Blue's Abra, who quickly teleported out of line of fire. That was when Red used his hands to turn his Bulbasaur's body and pointed to an empty space on the battlefield. "Stun Spore, now!" BruteRoot's bulb opened up and spewed a showering of golden sparkling dust just as Abra materialized in the very same spot and blanketed the Psychic Type in the fine powder. "Great job, BruteRoot, now finish it off with Solar Beam!" BruteRoot's bulb opened up again and generated a tiny orb of light that quickly quadrupled in size and then blasted forth a large beam of sunlight at Blue's Abra.

"Abra, Teleport away, now!" Blue ordered his Pokémon, which began to glow as it initiated its Teleport but suddenly stopped before it could get away and it was immediately knocked out from the Solar Beam. "What? No way! How'd ya' know where he was gonna be?"

Breathing very hard and wiping sweat from his brow, "I noticed a pattern to your Abra's Teleport technique while it was fighting my Pidgeotto: just before it disappears, its left or right ear would twitch and then it would Teleport to the corresponding side. Furthermore, Abra always teleported the same relative distance to a given side," Red explained, "and while it may have been too late for Talon, I was able to put my theory to the test with BruteRoot here. It was just a hunch, but it paid off in the end."

"Huh. Who knew you were so observant? No matter. Your Bulbasaur is about to get scorched!" Blue said as he shook off the results of the last exchange and returned his Abra to its Poké Ball and sent out his Charmander. The Fire Type that Red was all too familiar with looked far stronger and smarter than it had last time, and it was obvious that Blue had taken special care to train it since their last battle.

"BruteRoot has beaten him before and he can do it again!" Red called out, with BruteRoot roaring in agreement.

"Oh but Red, this is much different than before. You see, your Grass Type stands no chance in the current state that it's in." Blue mocked in laughter.

"What are you talking about? He hasn't even taken any damage at all!"

"Damage? No. Paralyzed? Yes."

"What?!" Red quickly looked over at his Bulbasaur who looked back at him with a worried expression on his face. His body had a faint, yellow glow surrounding it. "How is that possible? When did Abra use a paralyzing attack?" Red quickly asked in confusion.

"He didn't," explained Blue, "once again you've forgotten to pay attention to a Pokémon's abilities – in this case, Abra's Synchronize. Any time an opposing Pokémon inflicts a status condition on him, be it sleep, poison, burn, freezing, or paralysis, he inflicts the same condition back on them. You may have gotten one over on Abra, but by doing so you left yourself wide open for Charmander."

"That can't be…how could I have made the same mistake twice in the same battle?" Red was shocked and frustrated with himself for being so careless as he recalled BruteRoot. "Well, at least I still have one ace up my sleeve…" he said as he reached for his last Poké Ball.

"What? Don't tell me you expect to win using that puny Nidoran?" Blue mocked.

"Hardly; let's finish this match, Beast!" tossing the capsule forward, Red sent out his Nidoking.

The mocking expression on Blue's face faded very quickly. He might have expected to see Red's Nidoran evolved into a Nidorino; he definitely had not expected to see the Pokémon evolved into its final stage – not this soon at the very least. He cleared his throat and then regained his composure just as soon as he'd lost it. "When did it evolve into _that_?!"

"Beast first evolved during our battle against Brock of the Pewter City Gym," Red replied, "and then again inside Mt. Moon when we had a little bit of luck with a Moon Stone that a Clefairy generously shared."

"Sooooo, what you're saying is that your Nidoran went from its basic to its final stage in the span of a single day?"

"Yep." Red said proudly.

"And you still only have just that one badge from Pewter City?"

"Well, yes but I was going to challenge the Cerulean Gym Leader today…" Red started.

"This is gonna be a piece of cake." Blue laughed as he figuratively brushed off the threatening Pokémon that was standing before him.

"What are you going on about now?" Red was starting to get irritated again.

"I'm not worried over a Pokémon that's evolved that quickly under a trainer with only a single badge."

"What the heck is _that_ supposed to mean?" Red asked as he glared at his rival.

"Pokémon that evolve quickly are more likely to disobey their trainers. Furthermore, if you really think that these Gym Badges are just for show," Blue continued as he pulled out a jewel case from a small pack that was slung around his waist, and opened it to reveal two Gym Badges, one which he recognized and one he did not, "then you're more numbskulled than I thought. The badges that are given by sanctioned League Gym Leaders to trainers they deem worthy are a symbol to not only other trainers of your strength, but also to Pokémon, including your own. It tells Pokémon of the skill you command as a trainer."

"I get what you're saying, Blue. I'll get that second badge after we beat you! Beast, use Poison Tail!" The Nidoking light swayed its tail back and forth, but didn't make any move towards the opposing Charmander.

"Huh…? Beast, Double Kick!" Again, Red's Pokémon simply stared at the small Fire Type and made no effort to attack.

 _This is insane…This can't seriously be happening right now._ "Alright, Beast I know you love this one…use Drill Run!" Beast snorted in protest and proceeded to lie down on the ground and close its eyes. _No…_

"Hahaha it looks like your Nidoking is refusing to battle for you, Red."

"No, no, no, Beast c'mon, pal!" Red frantically attempted to spur his Pokémon into action.

"I'm assuming that's the last Pokémon you have in your team, Red. Looks like I win this time; am I great or what? Hahaha!"

"H-how did this happen…?" Red was in a daze even while Blue was talking.

"Hey, check it out; I went to Bill's and got him to show me some of his rare Pokémon. That added a lot of pages to my PokéDex!" Blue gloated, clearly basking in his victorious glory, "After all, Bill is famous all over as a real PokéManiac and even invented the Pokémon Storage System on PC too. Since you're using his system, you should really go and thank him. Well, I better get rolling, Red. Lot's to do! Smell ya' later!" and with that, Blue strolled back into the city.

Red stood still for a long time, just staring at the ground and holding Beast's Poké Ball in his hand as the Pokémon snored on the ground. "What did I do wrong…?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Red was pretty worn after that harrowing hike through Mt. Moon. Thankfully he and his team were able to make it safely to the Cerulean City Pokemon Center. While thinking about the route I wanted Red to take in his fight against the evil Team Rocket syndicate, I realized that it would hold much more weight if he were to free as many Pokemon from their wicked clutches as possible. This also led to the Zubat wanting to stay with Red. He'll come back into play at a later date so this isn't the last you'll see of him! You may notice that the orphanage that he dropped of the freed Pokemon is also the very same one that you can acquire a Bulbasaur from in Yellow Version!

The Cerulean City Bike Shop. Oh, that bike shop...Even when I was only 8 years old I thought it was ridiculous that a bike would cost such an insane amount of money. I also loved the line about those bikes being able to be ridden "anywhere" which was such a load of bull, so I thought that was something that needed to be written into CoF for comedic relief.

Red's third battle against his rival, Blue went far differently from he, and probably you, expected. I told you that Clefairy forcing Beast to evolve into Nidoking so early with that Moon Stone back in Mt. Moon would have consequences didn't I? Unfortunately for Red, those consequences resulted in his first real loss as a trainer. What adds to the heartache of that loss is that it was brought on by his inability to control one of his, up to this point, most loyal companions. Beast had single-handedly pulled Red out of a lot of tight spots already, but now he has the challenge of earning back his friend's respect. What will that take? How long will it take? It certainly parallels Ash's loss of control over Charizard, but the circumstances were a bit different, and the time necessary to recover from it will differ as well.

What are your guys' reactions to these events?


	20. The Old One-Two-Punch or Kick?

**The Old One-Two-Punch…or Kick?**

Red walked solemnly out of the Cerulean City PokéCenter, for the first time since starting his journey, unsure of himself. His battle against his rival, Blue had proven that he was not invincible, not yet at any rate, and the loss was still hitting home. His Pokémon had all fought hard and he was proud of them for their effort. Though Beast's lack of cooperation had been the final deciding factor in his losing to Blue, as far as he was concerned it ultimately had been his own inexperience as a trainer that had been the root cause of the match's outcome. Kirin walked along the streets beside Red as opposed to his usual perch atop his trainer's shoulder. Red felt terrible and didn't quite know how to shake it off. He had thought about calling home and asking mom for help, but he didn't want to worry her or, worse yet, embarrass her. This was something he was determined to figure out for himself, even if it took longer that way. It was the early afternoon now and the streets were much more populated. On multiple occasions Red, still lost in his own head, had bumped into other passersby. He had lost control of what had been one of his most loyal companions up until this point and he knew that the only way for him to regain that power was to get back on track with earning his badges. The issue with that was he didn't feel confident enough in himself to face the Cerulean Gym Leader. This left him with a dilemma, and he decided that it was one best solved away from the crowded streets of the city.

His decision took him back outside of town on the east side, along Route 4. He recalled one of the younger trainers he had battled on his way to Mt. Moon telling him he would be able to find an Ekans of his own there if he was lucky. Red wasn't feeling particularly lucky at present, but he wasn't going to allow himself to mope around doing nothing. He may not have felt confident about his battling prowess, but he knew he could at least make some more progress on the PokéDex for Professor Oak. Somewhere close to 20 minutes of running across Spearow-after-Spearow later, Red spied the golden-yellow rattle of an Ekans' tail peeking out from behind a large rock. _It must be watching the Spearow that are landing in this patch,_ Red thought to himself, _It's probably pretty wary of approach so I'll have to be as silent as possible._ The young trainer inched his way little-by-little towards the snake Pokémon. When he thought he was within striking distance, Red reached for a ball on his belt, but put it back when he saw Beast inside through the translucent upper half of the capsule. _Sorry buddy…I promise to get stronger for you again. Talon did well against the Ekans we faced on Route 3 so I'll use him._ Taking hold of the raptor's Poké Ball, Red quickly and silently lobbed it forward to send out his Pidgeotto. Talon materialized in mid-air and immediately circled the rock that the wild Ekans was hiding behind.

"Ok, Talon, we're gonna catch that Ekans. I know that you've beaten one before, so this should be a piece of cake for you! Let's start this off with your Gust attack!" Talon beat his wings toward the coiled snake, creating large gales that blew the Poison Type out from its spot. The Ekans turned to face Red and the Pidgeotto, who had then landed on its trainer's outstretched arm, and hissed angrily. It was clearly in a foul mood over having been driven from its hiding place. With any manner of luck, that anger would cause it to act sloppy and make mistakes, making it an easier target for a Poké Ball. "Great start Talon, now let's follow that up with Sand Attack!" Red called out as the bird started to quickly kick up sand and dirt into the Ekans' eyes. The snake hissed again and when the dust and debris that was kicked up had cleared, it had disappeared. "Where'd it go, pal?" Talon screeched back in reply, not knowing where the wild Pokémon had gone. Then, seemingly from out of nowhere, a small hole opened up in the ground beneath where Talon had been hovering and the wild Ekans sprung up from within it. _Is that Dig?_ Red wondered, _If so then Talon should be fine._ Red didn't get to finish his thoughts as the flying Ekans opened its mouth and used Bite right on Talon's left wing, causing him to cry out in pain. "Talon, quickly shake him off you!" The raptor tried as hard as he could to shake off the poison snake Pokémon, but ultimately failed and fell to the ground with a crash, but not before the Ekans released its grip on his opponent's wing and dove back into the earth. "What? How did that happen?" Red wondered aloud as he ran over to check on his Pokémon. "Are you alright, Talon?"

 _Pidgoh!_

"Thank goodness…" Red sighed as he sat on the ground beside his Pidgeotto, and rested his arms on top of his knees. "We've had a rough day, haven't we buddy…?" he asked Talon who then hopped up onto his left arm. Kirin, who had been observing the failed catch attempt, sat beside his trainer and looked up at him with a worried expression on his face.

 _Pi-ka?_

"I know, Kirin, we're in a bit of a slump: first I lose to Blue and now I failed to even catch an Ekans." Both of his Pokémon nuzzled their faces into their trainer, trying to cheer him up, but to no avail. It was then that Kirin's ears perked up and he looked around as though he had heard something. Talon tilted his head to the side as he looked on at the distracted Pikachu. When he had locked on to the direction of whatever noise had caught his attention, Kirin jumped up and down, tugging on Red's shirt in the process in exclamation over and over. "Huh? What is it, Kirin? What do you want?" _Pi! Pi! Pika-Pi!_ Eventually Kirin got fed up with trying and turned to Talon,

 _Pika-Chu-Pi!_

 _Pidgoh?_

 _Pika!_

Kirin then leaped onto the Pidgeotto's back and they flew up into the air. "Hey, wait a sec', where are you guys going?" Red exclaimed as he rose to his feet and gave chase. _I've never seen them act like this. What the heck is going on?_ A few minutes of running after the strange sight of a Pikachu riding on the back of a flying Pidgeotto ended when Red stopped to see two very large and muscular men in karate gi arguing with each other. "Are those the same guys that I passed last night?" The two men ceased their bantering when they saw young Red approach, and their demeanor quickly changed as well.

"Hello boy," asked the first man, "What brings you here?"

"Well you see, I was just following my Pokémon because they took off in a strange way a few minutes ago," Red explained as he pointed upwards, "but what were you two yelling about?"

"Is that a Pikachu riding on a Pidgeotto?" asked the second man "Well I'll be! That's a sight I've never seen before!"

"Umm, yeah it is definitely weird, but that's not-"

"Wait one second did you say we were yelling? Nononononono, we never yell!" the first man defended himself.

"Correct! We are the physical manifestation of tranquility and peace!" added the second.

"Right. Well, I heard you arguing about something or other and I-"

"You must have misheard!" interrupted the first.

"Or misunderstood!" added the second.

"Yes, yes, we do not argue." said the first man again.

"We simply were disagreeing!" finished the second man.

"That's the same thing as arguing you dolt!" fired the first man.

"It is not! And I am not a dolt, you flimsy-legged needle-head!" responded the other.

"It is the exact same thing!"

 _Whoa boy, what the heck did I just walk into this time…?_

"Okay, fine, you neither yell nor argue. Would you at least tell me what you were…uh…discussing?" Red finally broke the argument.

"Of course!"

"Yes, we were discussing the superiority of kicking to punching."

"My dear friend, I believe we were debating the superior properties of punching over kicking."

"No you have that backwards my good man, and 'debating' sounds a lot like arguing!"

"You are terribly and completely and utterly mistaken and your talking sounds a lot like yelling!"

As the two large men resumed their banter, Red just stood there with an incredulous look on his face. He had no idea what to do at this point, in more ways than one. "I guess we should just get going. Talon, return!" As he recalled his Pokémon and prepared to take his leave, the two men took notice of his hasty exit and stopped him – more like barricaded him on either side.

"Where do you think you're going, boy?" asked the man who thought punching was a superior attack.

"You have unfinished business here, kid." added the man who felt kicking to be the greater attack.

"Umm, well I don't think I can really do a lot of good here," replied Red, "so I'll just leave you two to your…whatever it is you have going on here."

"Oh, no you don't; you started this argument and now you're going to help us finish it!"

"I…what now?"

"FIRST!"

"INTRODUCTIONS!"

"Uhhh…I don't really think that-"

"SILENCE! I am Karate Guru Fisk, Master of The Fist!"

"Yes, yes, and I am Foh, Master of The Foot!"

 _These guys can't honestly be serious…_

"You shall help us settle our argument here and now," said Fisk, "We shall each teach one of your Pokémon the moves Mega Punch and Mega Kick!"

"Yes, yes, but you may only choose one move for each Pokémon!" exclaimed Foh. "And you shall then judge which attack is the better maneuver of the two."

"Sure, why not. What do I have to do?" asked Red. He'd given up arguing.

"It's quite simple really," offered Fisk, "You pick your Pokémon-"

"And then we pick a fight!" finished Foh.

Red rested his chin against his fist and pondered the present situation. _Well, at the very least my Pokémon will learn new moves, so I guess I can deal with this._ He thought about which Pokémon to bring out and have learn the new moves. Some were obviously not going to work: his Pidgeotto, because it was a bird, and his Nidoking, because – well he didn't really want to go there right now. At last he had reach his decision and realized that he desperately needed some unity and cooperation in his life today. Taking hold of the Gemini Ball from his belt he called out his Charmanders, "Vulcan…Ashgar, come on out!"

 _Chaaaaaaarrrrrrr!_

"Hey guys, we're gonna help these two with something and in the process you're going to each learn a new move!" Red explained to his Pokémon.

"Well would you look at that, Foh!"

"I see it indeed, Fisk!"

"Fisk, Foh, meet Vulcan and Ashgar," offered Red as he gestured to his corresponding Pokémon, "Guys these are Fisk and Foh; they're karate gurus and they're going to teach us some new moves." Red's Pokémon nodded in understanding. The gurus led Red and his Pokémon up a small hill. At the very top of the hill sat a flattened-out patch of ground that resembled a small arena and had practice dummies in several spots.

"This here is our practice arena," explained Fisk, "Here we shall teach your Charmanders our signature move of choice."

"Following that we shall determine which of the two attacks is the greater." Offered Foh.

"Sounds simple enough to me," Red shrugged, "Vulcan…Ashgar, let's get to it."

For the better part of the next hour, Red and his Pokémon trained with the karate gurus – Vulcan with Foh, and Ashgar with Fisk. The training, while only taking an hour, was intense, with the two Charmanders looking well-worn by the end of it. Kirin observed the two Fire Types training and attempted to emulate the different attacks while perched on Red's shoulder. The training had been lifting Red's spirits and the gurus explained that martial arts were about so much more than violence and conflict. They told Red that a true martial artist uses the art of combat to feel centered and at a place of serenity, about constantly bettering oneself while still understanding that we are not invincible and respecting both that fact and the power within ourselves. When at last the training was complete and Vulcan and Ashgar had learned Mega Kick and Mega Punch respectively, the gurus applauded the Fire Type Pokémon, as they tried to catch their breath, for their hard work and impressive fast learning.

"Now then," began Fisk, "it is time that we come to the main event."

"We shall now determine which attack is superior over the other!" Foh announced.

Red was breathing heavily himself from the training. He did his best to keep up with the gurus as they taught his Pokémon, but they were experienced veterans at their craft and he would have a long way to go. "Great! So how do we determine that?"

"Simply put," started Fisk.

"We shall do battle!" Foh offered.

"Battle? Like as in a Pokémon battle?" Red inquired.

""Exactly like a Pokémon battle!"" the two gurus announced.

Red hadn't anticipated this, but he was ready now; his spirits lifted from the rigorous training he and his Pokémon had just been through. "Alright then, let's do it!"

"This battle will use unique rules!"

 _Special rules?_

"Each Pokémon will use just one move and whichever overpowers their opponent will be declared the winner!" explained Foh.

"If those are the rules you play by, then those are the rules we'll win by!" Red responded, his confidence coming back to him.

"That's the spirit, kid! Hitmonchan…"

"Prepare yourself! Hitmonlee…"

""Go!""

The two Pokémon that the karate gurus sent out were completely new to Red and he quickly consulted his PokéDex. The Pokémon sent out by Fisk had many humanoid features with a mostly-tan body save for what appeared to be violet body armor, and wore red boxing gloves. The PokéDex described it as:

 _HITMONCHAN: The Punching Pokémon. The spirit of a pro boxer has infused this Pokémon; it has an indomitable spirit that will never give up. To increase the strength of its punching moves, it spins its arms in a cork-screw fashion just before making contact. Its arm-twisting punches are faster than a bullet train and can pulverize even concrete._

The Pokémon sent out by Foh had a similarly hued body that somewhat resembled the end slice of a loaf of bread, save for the two slots for its eyes. Its arms and legs were lanky and ribbed and reminded red of the tape that martial artists would wrap their wrists and ankles with. Red's PokéDex described the Pokémon for him:

 _HITMONLEE: The Kicking Pokémon. When in a hurry, its legs can lengthen progressively to run with extra long, loping strides. This amazing Pokémon has perfect balance and can kick in succession from any position. When kicking, the sole of its foot turns as hard as a diamond on impact. Also known as "The Kick Master," its elastic legs allow it to execute every known kick._

Both Pokémon were intimidating and nearly as tall as Red himself. "Ok so we're obviously dealing with Fighting Type Pokémon here, guys. You're going to have to put everything you've got behind those attacks!"

 _Chaaaarrr!_

The four Pokémon stood at the ready. Vulcan, who had been taught how to use Mega Kick, was lined up across from Hitmonchan. Ashgar, who had learned Mega Punch, was pitted against Hitmonlee.

"""GO!"""

"Hitmonchan, use Mega Punch; show us the true strength of The Fist!"

"Hitmonlee, Mega Kick; prove that the way of the kick is superior!"

"Here we go guys, Vulcan – Mega Kick, Ashgar – Mega Punch, now!"

The resulting impact from the four Pokémon's attacks clashing sent shockwaves down the hill all around them. The force smacked into every tree in the surrounding one hundred yards and their leaves exploded off their branches and rained down around the arena. As beautiful and awe-inspiring as the sight was, not one of the trainers diverted their gaze even for a moment from the clashing Pokémon at a stalemate in mid-air before them. Vulcan's right leg, small as it was, glowed a bright white and was connected perfectly with Hitmonchan's right fist which held the same glow. Vulcan's eyes also gleamed bright blue, with an intensity that Red could almost taste and he could feel his heart go _ba-dum_ in slow motion. In the same manner, Ashgar's right fist glowed white as he cried out, it connected in sync with Hitmonlee's right foot. The intense gleam in his eyes matched that of his twin. Again, Red's heart went _ba-dum_ as time itself seemed to halt. The effort put forth by his Pokémon, his brothers-in-arms, his friends, was reawakening the fire within him. His eyes suddenly flashed bright blue and both Charmander's tail flames blazed white hot as all three of them cried out in unison. The energy put out by the two Fire Types knocked back Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee right into their respective trainers.

Vulcan and Ashgar remained standing, barely, in their victory over the Fighting Type Pokémon and Red ran over and embraced them both, tears welling up in his eyes.

"It looks as though you've found your spirit once again, kid." Fisk said with a smile.

"Indeed, the fire within you has been rekindled," observed Foh.

Red smiled and began to chuckle behind the tears in his eyes. "So you two knew all along?"

"Of course we did," offered Foh.

"We were able to sense that you have an unbelievably powerful aura, but that you were currently having some trouble," Fisk explained, "and so we took it upon ourselves to get you going again."

Red heartily laughed out loud for the first time in days. "You two are really something else, you know that? Thank you for everything: the training, the kick in the pants, and the spark I needed."

"No need to thank us. You are the one who is truly something else entirely. If you want to learn more about your aura, seek out the old Aura Master in Sinnoh; he can show you the way."

"Your journey will take you to far-off places and great heights, but don't ever lose sight of what it is that gets you there: your Pokémon – your companions who travel with you, and your heart. Incidentally, we never got your name."

"It's Red," he said as he shook each of their hands and they went off, "and it's been a pleasure."

The three brothers stood together in victory, unity, serenity, and for the first time in hours, Red felt all of their hearts beating as one again. The smile returned to his face and flame restored in his heart, the trio, along with Kirin, headed back toward Cerulean City.

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

There is a lot of internal character growth in this chapter, and that is important. Red's loss against Blue in the last chapter was a necessary evil, because let's be honest, a character who has no weaknesses and never loses is very one-dimensional and stoic. There needs to be growth, and this chapter is the beginning of that growth. Fisk and Foh were fun characters to write. They sort of exist in the games, but certainly not in such a capacity, and writing them into this chapter with the level of importance that they had was a fun challenge. Red's training with the two Karate Gurus was meant to have the flare of a Japanese anime battle, or a very stylized martial arts film, and seeing as I love those types of films I had a blast portraying it here in my own way. Hopefully Red and team are now ready to continue on their journey now, with renewed confidence in themselves and each other. As usual, send me your thoughts!


	21. The Cape Crusade

**The Cape Crusade**

Red, the fire returned to his soul, strode forward with new purpose. His hours spent with the karate gurus, Fisk and Foh had taught him a lot more than new moves for his Pokémon. Truth-be-told he hadn't even realized everything that he had learned from them, even after having returned to the Cerulean Pokémon Center and stepping foot back onto Route 24. He cringed as he passed the large boulder that sat near where he had last battled Blue, and where he'd suffered his first loss to his rival, but pushed forward. It wasn't long before he came upon a bridge that shone like gold in the fiery light of the setting sun. Upon that bridge stood five trainers, all in a row with crossed arms and battle-itching grins across all of their faces. Their purpose was clear, and Red was ready. They stood in a semi-lined up manner and slightly staggered, likely to be able to watch the battles coming up the bridge. Their order, from nearest-to-farthest from Red, was: a Bug Catcher, followed by a Lass, a Youngster, another Lass, and then finally a Jr. Camper Trainer, a boy in an olive green camping uniform with matching shorts and a bright red tie brought up the rear of the group.

The Bug Catcher boy approached Red confidently and spoke up, "You're about to take the Nugget Bridge Challenge; defeat us five fabulous trainers in a row and you'll earn yourself a golden prize!" he explained as he twirled a large, bug catching net in his hands. He shared the same confident grin that the other four trainers had and pulled out his first Poké Ball. Red wasn't positive of which exact Pokémon would be sent out, but he knew that it would be a Bug Type as these types of trainers quite literally never used anything else. He commended the trainer for his confidence before sending out his Pidgeotto, to which the Bug Catcher's reaction and change of expression spoke of what was about to follow. A few short minutes later and the Bug Catcher was exhausted of his Pokémon and headed back towards town to heal them at the PokéCenter, picking his straw hat off of the ground, having lost it to Talon's powerful Gust, as he passed by Red. Trainer number two was the first Lass, and her leaning towards primarily Grass Type Pokémon netted Red and Talon a quick and easy victory and he was able to add partial data of a Bellsprout to his PokéDex. The Grass Type had a head of a yellow, bell-shaped flower with a body that was made solely of roots and a pair of small green leaves for its arms. Things were going rather smoothly for Red up to this point and he recalled his Pidgeotto to give another one of his Pokémon some exercise in battle.

The third trainer was a Youngster whose first Pokémon was new to Red and he quickly consulted his PokéDex for relevant information on his opponent.

 _SANDSHREW: The Desert Mouse Pokémon. Sandshrew's body is designed to absorb water without waste, enabling it to survive in arid deserts. It has a very dry hide that is extremely tough and will curl into a tight ball to protect itself from enemies. At night, it will burrow into the desert sand to sleep._

"Sounds to me like a Ground Type Pokémon," Red stated as he took hold of one of his Poké Balls, "BruteRoot, you're up buddy!" _Saur!_ Red's Bulbasaur roared happily at the chance to battle. "You hold the type advantage, pal, so let's do it!"

"You may hold the type advantage, sure, but that only counts if you can actually keep up with my Sandshrew's speed!" the Youngster shouted at Red, "Sandshrew, use Scratch!" The tan and white-bellied mouse Pokémon dashed forward and extended the claws on its arms to take a swipe at its opponent. Red had anticipated a sizable speed differential and already had taken countermeasures.

"BruteRoot, catch him in mid-swing with your Vine Whip and then knock him back with Tackle!" The Bulbasaur's vines shot out from underneath his bulb and quickly lassoed around the incoming mouse. As soon as he was firmly in his grasp, BruteRoot leaped forward while pulling the suspended Ground Type towards himself. The bash knocked Sandshrew back several feet and Red's Bulbasaur stood proudly at the start to his match. "That was great, BruteRoot, now let's keep the momentum going."

"I don't think, so mister, Sandshrew burrow into the ground!" the Youngster quickly called out to his Pokémon who immediately disappeared underground.

"Keep our eyes peeled, buddy," Red called, "he could come up from anywhere!" Red scanned the ground for any sign of burrowing that could give away the Sandshrew's position. Then he spotted it, a small tunneling of dirt head for BruteRoot from behind. _He's trying a rear sneak attack. Tricky but I know just what to do here. I just have to wait for the right moment…That's it!_

Red called out to BruteRoot to turn around and unleash his Solarbeam attack directed right at the ground behind him. "BruteRoot, Solarbeam at the ground right behind you!" The Bulbasaur wasn't very quick on turning and so he improvised by hopping forward just a couple of feet and rotating his body 180 degrees while in the air. As soon as he landed, the Sandshrew came up from its tunneling to use Dig. That's when BruteRoot's bulb opened up and he unleashed a blast of photosynthetic energy that exhausted the Ground Type of its energy to battle in a single blow. "Great job, BruteRoot! That's the way!" Red leaped up excited as he ran to hug his victorious Grass Type.

"Grrrrrrr…You may have knocked out Sandshrew but this isn't over yet," the Youngster growled, "Ekans, go!"

Seeing the Pokémon that Red himself had failed to catch earlier that day was annoying, but he had to set that aside for now and focus on the match at hand. "You've still got this, buddy," he encouraged his Pokémon, "Let's finish this match up!"

"Ekans, use Dig!" the Youngster's Ekans got a familiar gleam in its eyes as it quickly burrowed into the ground.

 _That's the exact same Ekans?! Ugh!_ Red was even more annoyed now with the revelation that this young trainer had managed to catch the exact same Ekans that he had failed to. _That does it. This ends now._

"BruteRoot, cover the area with as much of your Sleep Powder as you possibly can," Red called out before taking a deep breath and quickly covering his mouth and nose with the sleeve of his shirt. BruteRoot nodded quickly and sprayed as much of the glittering pink dust from its bulb as it could muster. The sheer volume of Sleep Powder that filled the air made the young trainer drowsy as he called for his Pokémon to hit his opponent with Dig, but as soon as the violet snake leaped up from its hole it breathed in enough Sleep Powder to send an Onix to bed and immediately crash down to the ground – not waking up any time soon.

Red leaped into the air again in victory and hugged his Pokémon while the Youngster kicked up dirt in frustration. "Rats! I can't believe you beat me, even with my new Ekans!"

The next trainer, the other Lass, waved Red over to her as she brushed her light brunette hair out of her eyes, "Well hey you're cute and strong, but don't think I'm going to be a pushover like these other babies were!" A short battle against her male and female breeds of Nidoran later and Red and BruteRoot had beaten the fourth Nugget Bridge trainer and left her pouting in defeat along with the other three.

"You may have beaten Cale, Ali, Timmy and Rali, but I'm not like the others," said the fifth trainer proudly, "My name's Ethan, and I'm a cut above the rest!"

"BruteRoot, you've been awesome, but it's time for me to let you rest. Return! Now who's gonna fight this time?" As Red pondered his Pokémon of choice he felt a light nibbling at his right ear. "Hey! You want to fight this one, Kirin?"

 _Pika pi!_ The Pikachu shouted as it sparked from its cheeks.

"Alright buddy, you got it! I choose you!"

 _Pi!_ Kirin hopped down from Red's shoulder and stood in wait as the Camper held up a single Poké Ball. "This Pokémon is on a whole other level, friend. Your little yellow mouse is cruisin' for a real bruisin'…Mankey, I choose you!"

The appearance of the small Fighting Type Pokémon was a surprise to Red. He hadn't seen one since catching one of his own near where he'd found Beast days prior. The small Pokémon stood only a few inches taller than Red's Pikachu. Its body was spherical and covered in thick tan fur that cut off at its wrists and ankles, and didn't cover its thin brown tail at all. It had pointy, cat-like ears and a small pig nose. The excitement of facing a new challenge was pumping Red up. "This is a totally new opponent for you, Kirin. I can tell you first-hand that thing is just as quick and agile as it looks," Red advised his Pikachu, "but you're even more so!"

"Tough talk coming from someone who's about to lose!"

"We'll see about that! Kirin, Quick Attack!"

"Mankey, Low Kick – trip him up!"

Kirin sprinted forward to attack the Mankey, glowing white with its speed, but when he got close the Fighting Type he was tripped and sent rolling through the dirt. "Haha! Told you! I told you your mouse is no match for us!"

"Don't get cocky, kiddo; that was only the first exchange."

"Hey! I'm not a kid!"

"Sure you're not…Kirin, Thunder Shock!" No sooner had Kirin rolled back to its feet than it sparked and sent jolts of electricity at the Mankey. The attack struck perfectly and Mankey looked worn, but was still far from finished.

"Mankey, use Focus Energy and follow it up with a Karate Chop!" The Mankey became surrounded by a bright red aura and its eyes widened from the veins popping from its forehead. Red wasn't sure what was coming next and so he took it upon himself to attack quickly.

"Kirin, don't let him attack, use Quick Attack again!" Glowing white and dashing forward again, Kirin hit the Mankey twice in quick succession, but much to Red and Kirin's surprise it didn't so much as flinch. Then Kirin was knocked back by Mankey's Karate Chop that was so fast that neither of them even saw it coming. Red rushed over to his Pikachu to make sure he was ok. He was, but he was looking very worn. _I can't let Kirin go on like this much longer,_ Red thought, _it isn't safe._

"We're finishing your little conquest of our bridge right here and now! Mankey, use Focus Energy and Karate Chop, again!" Mankey glowed red again but this time dashed forward to attack rather than waiting for the Pikachu to be ready.

"Kirin, move out of the way now!" Red shouted as he saw the image of Kirin getting hurt from the oncoming attack unfold in his mind. He returned to reality in time to see his Pikachu dash away from him to meet his opponent head on. The Mankey's red aura migrated from the entirety of its body to condensing in its right chopping hand. What happened next shocked everyone watching the match unfold; as Kirin dashed towards its Fighting Type opponent, he leaped into the air so that he would be attacking from a higher point. The Mankey rapidly followed suit, looking up at its electric mouse foe. Then Kirin clenched his right hand into a tight little fist that began to take on a massive white glow, almost as large as his entire body, and swung forward with an uncanny might for his species. The punch took the ascending Mankey completely by surprise and it failed to react, or rather couldn't as it was sent crashing to the ground in an explosion of dust and dirt and making a crater several feet wide. It wasn't battling anymore now. It was going to be napping for likely the remainder of the day.

Red ran to Kirin, who ran to meet its trainer and leaped into his chest. "Kirin that was amazing! Was that Mega Punch, when did you learn that?!" Red embraced his Pokémon tightly, being incredibly proud of him. "I can't believe that you actually learned Mega Punch, Kirin," Red said laughing as he shook his head. No longer blockaded from crossing the gilded bridge, Red strolled to the other side, leaving the five trainers to go rest their Pokémon in town. Waiting for him on the other side was a man who stood at least a full head higher than Red. He wore a black hat that looked eerily familiar to Red, and a large coat that covered up most of what he was wearing aside from his black slacks. His eyes were covered by dark sunglasses, which struck Red as odd for this time of day with the sun almost entirely behind the mountains to the west, painting the sky with its final strokes of pink, orange, and red.

"Congratulations on successfully defeating our five fabulous trainers," the man said as Red came to a halt in front of him, "As a token of your accomplishment take this Nugget!" The man handed Red a small golden nugget that couldn't have been any bigger than a large marble.

"Thanks, mister," Red replied wearily as he slid the small treasure into his pack and started to walk away.

"Hold on one second there, kid. Incidentally, would you like to join Team Rocket?"

Red stopped and clenched his fists. He knew that something was off about this guy. After the events at Mt. Moon, Red had seen all he needed to of Team Rocket and now he was on the warpath for them.

"We're a group of criminals that use Pokémon to further our scientific, economic, and political goals. With your talent and skill as a trainer you could easily rise to the ranks of a Rocket Executive! C'mon, what do you say?"

"I know exactly who you are and what you people want, and I won't stand for it!" As Red spoke the Clefable he had caught in Mt. Moon burst out of its Poké Ball and narrowed its eyes at the Team Rocket member.

"Hey that's a rare Clefable," the Rocket yelled as he began to reach for the rare Fairy Type Pokémon, "Give it here!" Before he could get his hands on the rare Pokémon however, his face was met squarely with Red's fist, knocking him back. "Who the hell do you think you are?!" The Rocket covered his mouth as he yelled at Red.

"Get out of here and tell your boss, whoever he may be, that I'm coming for him and the rest of his thugs!" Red, Kirin, and Clefable all watched as the embarrassed Rocket member scurried off towards town. _I wonder if I should follow him? He's probably just going to leave town after I slugged him; besides, I have a lot that I need to do anyways._

Red had spent half an hour more on Route 24, encountering an Oddish and Bellsprout and managed to add both species of Grass Type Pokémon to his PokéDex. They had taken residence on a long strip of tall grass that ran parallel to Nugget Bridge, and with some swift flying by Talon, was once again on his way.

"I was really hoping to catch an Abra as well, Kirin, but we didn't even see any. Maybe Blue caught his elsewhere?" Red asked aloud to his Electric Type companion.

 _Pi?_

"I guess we'll have to find one somewhere else then," he concluded, "We still need to go see Bill and win our second badge and according to this we've just barely set foot on Route 25 – the northernmost route in Kanto." He offered as he looked down at his map before returning it to his pack. "At this rate, we may have to wait until morning to face the Cerulean Gym Leader, which is fine I guess."

The short route was home to almost no wild Pokémon, with the exception of the Pidgey and Spearow that flew above his head, but it was littered with well over a dozen other trainers of a wide variety. The collection of Bug Catchers, Hikers, Campers, Youngsters, and Lasses were a great opportunity for him to let his team get some more wins under their belts. The wind was beginning to pick up as night set in. Red could see the silhouette of a lone house sitting atop a small hill in the distance. _That must be Bill's house. I wonder what kind of guy he is._ He looked up at the house when he finally stood before it; it was huge – bigger than huge even. The house, more like mansion, sat on the cape and looked out over the sea to the east. It was completely dark outside now and Red couldn't make out anything across the sea now. He shrugged and walked up the stone steps that led to the largest front door he'd ever seen. When he was younger and still living at the orphanage he'd always thought that the double doors of the facility were large, but those were dwarfed by what was before him now. The large, mahogany red, double doors at the end of the steps were imposing, intimidating, and almost unwelcoming.

"You think we made the right decision coming here, Kirin…?"

 _Pi…._ Kirin lowered his ears as he buried his face into Red's shoulder, obviously scared of the doors as well.

"Here goes nothing…" he started as he reached out his hand to knock on the front door, only to be startled as the large entrance creaked open on its own. "Ummm…that can't be good," he tentatively stepped through the entryway with Kirin whining on his shoulder as he did.

"Hello?" He waited in silence for a few seconds after calling out, as his voice echoed throughout the mansion.

"Is anybody home?" Again, Red awaited a response but yet again none came.

"Maybe he's away on a vacation and we just missed him, Kirin. That's a drag." The house lights weren't on and the only real light came from the moon and stars pouring through the skylights. "It's a bit too dark in here, Kirin. Let's shed a little light, shall we?" he offered as he took hold of the Gemini Ball, "Vulcan…Ashgar, come on out guys!"

 _Chaaarrrrrr!_

"Hey guys, we need your tail flames to give us a bit more light to work with in here. Is that ok?" He never wanted to force his companions to do anything against their will, and that included such a menial task, but the Charmanders trilled happily and intensified the flames on their tail tips. With enough light to see where he was going, Red strode forward with Vulcan and Ashgar flanking just a few steps ahead of him. Both he and Kirin felt much more comfortable now that they could see where they were going, not to mention the fact that two very strong Pokémon were lighting the way for them. With the addition of the two Charmander tails, Red could make out a few more things in the entry hall. There was a large red carpet running the length of the hall, and numerous framed paintings adorning the walls on either side of him. The first painting that caught his eye was on the left wall, and was of a very prehistoric looking Pokémon. It was brown with a flat, shield-like head and two long sickles for its forearms. It had a very predatory air to it. The plaque beneath the frame read: 'KABUTOPS'

"That Pokémon reminds me of that fossil that we found in Mt. Moon, doesn't it guys?"

Moving to the next painting, which very quickly sent chills down the entire group's spines, revealed a crustacean Pokémon possessing a white, spiral shell and a blue body with numerous mini tentacles for arms and a mouth of several rows of razor-sharp teeth. It too seemed to predate any of the Pokémon that Red was familiar with. "What on earth is that Pokémon?" he wondered aloud as he moved on while looking down at the plaque that read: 'OMASTAR'. The Pokémon depicted in the next painting was a large flying, predatory Pokémon with a grey body that almost looked to be made of stone. Its wingspan made Talon's look like he was still a chick. Even its teeth where huge and it possessed an angry look upon its face. The plaque under the image read: 'AERODACTYL'. "I definitely wouldn't want to run into that thing unprepared." Red looked around again and shrugged. "I guess no one's home guys. Maybe we should just head back to Cerulean at this point."

As he turned to leave, Kirin's ears perked up and he cried out as though he had heard something. He leaped down from Red's shoulder and bolted down the hall. Giving chase, Red came upon a door from which he could hear barking sounds on the other side of. He had started to open the doors when they suddenly flew open, knocking the whole group on their tails in shock. What shocked Red even more however was the sudden appearance of four new quadrupedal Pokémon that had burst through the very same door. The first of which was a light brown all over except for a large tuft of fluffy tan fur around its neck and a matching strip at the tip of its tail, and had ears larger than its own head. The next was thrice the size of the first and sky blue all over. Its ears looked more like the fins of a fish and it had a single fin adorning the top of its head as well. It had a white frill around its neck and a dark blue frill that ran down the length of its back. One of its most notable features was its tail, which resembled that of a mermaid. Following that was clearly a Fire Type Pokémon from the intense heat coming from its body. The body was a bright red with an off-white, large, fluffy tail, and matching tuft of fur around its neck and on top of its head. The last of the four quadrupeds had a bright yellow, spiky body all over with a spiky, pure white tuft of fur around its neck and it too possessed matching large ears just as all the others.

Red quickly reached for his PokéDex to obtain data on the group, but was stopped short by them barking frantically at him. Kirin waved his arms in the air and communicated with the four Pokémon. He then turned to his trainer and began jumping up and down wildly. "Hey Kirin, what's gotten into you all of a sudden?" he queried at his Pikachu's strange behavior.

The four Pokémon and Kirin, followed now by Vulcan and Ashgar, all went back through the door Red had just opened. Red jumped to his feet and chased after the bolting Pokémon. His chase led him down another hall and then a flight of winding stairs into what appeared to be a basement of sorts. The basement was set up much like a smaller version of Professor Oak's lab, with bright white tile flooring, and white walls and ceiling. There were several tables with numerous papers strewn all over them, and a desk with a large computer on it. The primary objects were in the back of the room: two large steel drums, both of which had doors in the front. One of the doors was large enough for a grown man to easily walk through and the other was a bit smaller and oddly possessed no door handle. Red took a few more steps forward as each of the four Pokémon he had just encountered each leaped onto one of the lab tables. The next thing Red saw gave a whole new standard for the term 'strange'. He heard a clatter coming from somewhere in the room and when he peered around the corner of one of the tables saw a Rattata. Upon any ordinary circumstance seeing a Rattata anywhere, even in the basement of a mansion, wouldn't necessarily be all that strange, but then the purple rodent began to speak with the voice of a young man.

"Hiya! I'm a Pokémon…whoops no I'm not! You can call me Bill; I'm a true blue PokéManiac!"

Red was in such shock that he didn't quite know how to respond.

"Hey, what's with that skeptical look? I'm not joshing you, pal. I screwed up an experiment and got combined with this here Rattata! So, how 'bout it, chief? Help me out here? C'mon man, you gotta help a guy in deep trouble! What do ya' say, chief? Please?" Bill begged him.

Shaking off the shock, Red nodded in response. "Uh, yeah sure I'll help you. What do you need me to do?"

"Alright! It's super simple, when I step into the teleporter over there, go to the PC and execute the 'Run Cell Separation System' program. That ought to do the trick, and if it doesn't…errr, don't throw a Poké Ball at me!" He then scurried over to the glass door on the left, that automatically opened, and stepped inside.

"Kirin, I have no idea what's going on right now but we should help him. Let's go to his PC and run that program and start getting some answers." Red walked over to Bill's PC and found the program Bill had mentioned already up on the screen. He hit the Run Program option and waited. Suddenly smoke started filling up the two tanks. Red noticed a large connecting tube that ran from one of the drums to the other and saw it glow. There was a flash of light in the right cylinder followed by a loud _DING_. After a few seconds, a young man with messy, sandy-brown hair, brown eyes, and wearing a light blue polo shirt and tan slacks walked out of the other drum.

"Yeehah! Thanks bud; I owe you one! Did you come here to see my Pokémon collection?" the now human Bill asked.

"Yes, well, no not explicitly. I actually came here to thank you for your work creating the Pokémon PC Storage System that all trainers use," Red explained, "Without that, trainers wouldn't be able to carry more than a handful of Pokémon with them, and that's not nearly as fun or exciting. So, thank you very much."

"Well shucks, you didn't have to come all the way out here just to thank me for that, but that's awfully kind of you to do so regardless. I have to thank you somehow…I got it! Maybe this'll do," he exclaimed as he handed a small, shiny slip of paper to Red, "That cruise ship, the S.S. Anne is docked in the Vermilion City port. I hear that there's going to be a lot of trainers on board. They invited me to their big party, but I really can't stand fancy-do's and crowds. Why don't you go in my place?"

"A-are you sure? That sounds like a really expensive party to just give away an invitation for."

"Absolutely sure, you go and have a good old time! I'd much rather stay here in my quiet little cape with my Pokémon. Speaking of which, it looks like you've met Eevee, Vaporeon, Jolteon, and Flareon. Eevee is a rare and very unique Pokémon in that it possesses an unstable genetic makeup; that is to say that it has many possible evolutions depending on the energies it is exposed to. I hope that you yourself are fortunate to come across one yourself in your travels." Bill stated as he gestured to the Pokémon that had led Red to their trainer-in-need. "For now, please feel free to record their data in your PokéDex!"

"Thank you so much! How did you know that I had a PokéDex? It's such a new invention."

"Ah but the answer is simple! I too studied under the great Professor Oak not long ago when he would travel to my hometown of Goldenrod City in Johto. He sent me an email just a few days ago saying that his grandson and another young prodigy would be heading my way sometime soon. Blue passed through here just yesterday so I can only make a guess that you're Red?"

"Yes, I'm Red, and it's great to meet you, Bill!" Red smiled as the two shook hands.

"Your pack is looking pretty full there, Red, how many Pokémon do you have with you?"

Red felt his face match his name as he scratched the back of his head, realizing that although he came to Bill's to thank him for creating the PC Storage System, he had yet to actually use it himself. "Well, you see…I actually have kind of gotten a little side-tracked and forgotten to actually store all the Pokémon that I've caught so far."

Bill laughed as he grabbed Red by the shoulder and dragged him over to the PC and turned on the Pokémon Storage System transfer device located beside it. "Alright Red, place each of the Poké Balls containing the Pokémon you would like to store for now on the matter transfer port and we'll get them stored for you for access later.

One-by-one, Red placed his caught Pokémon on the port and watched as they were dematerialized and the machine identified each one:

 _Nidoran (female), Mankey, Spearow, Rattata, Geodude, Paras, Caterpie, Weedle, Oddish, Bellsprout, Jigglypuff, Magikarp, Zubat_

"Sounds like your PokéDex progress is coming along well thus far," Bill noted.

"Thank you. I've been filling it up pretty faithfully since leaving Pallet Town. Adding your rare Pokémon to it is going to be a huge help and I can't thank you enough!" Red said as he aimed the camera at each of Bill's Pokémon. As he was adding their entries to his PokéDex, Bill noticed Vulcan and Ashgar standing behind Red and nearly fell over when he saw the brightness of their tail flames and Ashgar's rare coloration.

"Whoahoho! What have we here? Two Charmanders, identical in height and strength, but not in hue. You have yourself what is known in the research world as a 'shiny' Pokémon, Red!" Bill offered excitedly.

"Oh? Is that what Ashgar's coloration is called?" Red responded as he finished recording Bill's four Pokémon's data and put away his PokéDex.

"Yes! It's incredibly rare. Only one in thousands of a given species are said to possess a variant coloration to their body," he explained as he crouched down to be eye level with the two Charmanders.

"That's pretty cool. The twins have been with me since I was very little."

"Did you say, 'twins'?" Bill looked like his scientific curiosity was written all over his face.

"Yeah, apparently they hatched from the same solitary egg, but I was so young then that I don't really remember much else from that time."

"I see. Well nevertheless it is fascinating so thank you for sharing!" Bill said as he led Red back up the stairs to his main hall. "I've been fascinated by Pokémon since I too was a young boy. I always had a strong desire to see rare Pokémon, but even still have love for all Pokémon no matter how rare." Bill gestured to the paintings along the main hall as they walked. "The Pokémon depicted in these paintings here are all what we in the scientific community refer to as 'Legendary Pokémon', and are exceedingly rare as they are singular within their species, meaning there is only one of each. A great mystery to me is how old they then are, or if they have a sort of cyclic life of death and rebirth? These are questions that I hope to someday learn the answers to." Bill continued as he came to a stop in front of a stone image that was familiar to Red.

"That's Mew," Red stated before Bill could continue, "I recognize this image. When I was still living in the Viridian City Orphanage someone sent me an old encyclopedia on Pokémon and I remember spending a significant amount of time on a page that had a photo of this very stone slab carving."

"You have a good eye, Red, that is indeed the mythical Pokémon known as Mew. Many experts on Pokémon still believe it to be nothing more than a mere mirage, as so few individuals claim to have seen it. No one then knows how old Mew is or anything of its origins. It is one of the greatest mysteries of our world." Bill stared up at the moon and stars shining through his skylights. There was a deep passion for Pokémon within him and Red felt the need to comment further and make his history known to the young man.

"I've seen Mew," he said.

Bill turned to face him, a look of deep seriousness upon his face as he stared into Red's eyes. "You're truly serious," he said as he could feel the fire in Red's heart, "You really have seen it…When? Where?" Bill's infamy as a PokéManiac was showing through now.

"I can't remember where…all I can remember is pouring rain outside and trying to stay warm with these two Charmanders. We were all so small at the time and so I can only recall bits and pieces, like flashbacks in a movie."

"Incredible," Bill whispered as he digested what Red had described, "Perhaps your path will cross with Mew's again someday. If and when that time comes, I am certain that much of your missing past will make itself known to you as well. Look at the time, it's nearly sunrise and the wind seems to have calmed on the coast. Would you and your companions like to join us in welcoming the new day?"

"We'd love to, Bill, thank you."

"Wonderful. Please, follow me." Bill led them outside and down a short path to the lighthouse that sat beside his residence. They climbed to the top of the lighthouse and waited as the sun's tendrils of light started to creep over the horizon to the east.

"One day, years ago when I first came to live here on the cape, I was standing at this very spot in the late evening when I heard the call of a Pokémon. It sounded filled with such sorrow and I wanted to meet it, to tell it that everything would be alright. On cold and foggy nights ever since then I have heard the Pokémon's call, and ever since I have hoped and prayed that it would someday come close enough for me to see it, to touch it. I don't need to catch it, but I would like to know why it always sounds so sad."

"Maybe it's lonely, and is looking for its friends," Red offered, "This world we live in is so vast that it's easy to get lost within it and separated from those we love," he said as his eyes filled up with tears as he thought about his mom back home, "but the hope of being reunited with those people is what keeps us going forward and achieving our dreams, sometimes what others told us is impossible."

"Ah, you are wise beyond your years Red, how right you are. Aha! Look there, the sun is rising!"

The new friends stood together as they were bathed in the warm rays of the rising sun casting its morning light upon the land for the new day. Red was thankful that he had made this trip to the cape and met Bill, and grateful for everything he had done for him. Both young men and their Pokémon all stood smiling, ready to meet whatever the new day and beyond would bring.

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Team Rocket just can't stay stay away can they? Red is certainly finding that out, and you and I both know that they aren't going away anytime soon. What did you think of Kirin's use of Mega Punch? I had fun writing that in there, and I hope you had paid careful attention in the last chapter when the twins were training with the karate gurus. As a matter of fact, you should make it a point to take careful note of virtually all that I do, for seldom indeed is the time that I write something on a whim and without intent to revisit it later on. The decision to give Bill's house a similar feel to that of it in the anime was a relatively easy one. I like the looming, ominous feel that it gave off, and felt more like a place one who desired seclusion from people could find themselves lost in.

The infamous PokeManiac, Bill and Red became fast friends, and it's no wonder; they both have a deep adoration/obsession with the wonderful creatures they share their world with. I really liked the image of Red and Bill, and their respective Pokemon standing atop the lighthouse as the sun was rising over the sea's horizon; it gave off a sense of serenity and renewed vitality, which Red and company are definitely going to need over the coming chapters! Did you guys like the hints toward the future in this chapter? Also, did you enjoy the parallel to Bill in the TV series with his desire to meet the lonely Pokemon of the sea? I wonder what species that Pokemon is in this world.


	22. The Tomboyish Mermaid

**The Tomboyish Mermaid**

Red stood at the entrance to the Cerulean City Gym; its outer architecture resembled that of a large aquarium and the roof was a dome shape. He stretched and yawned wide and Kirin followed suit atop his shoulder, stretching his short arms as far out as he could manage. It had been a long night at Bill's cape-side home followed by the trek back to the city. With all that he had planned to do today he didn't have time to sleep for a full eight hours, or much at all for that matter. He rubbed his eyes wearily and scratched Kirin behind the ears.

"I know we're tired, pal, but we've spent so much time here already without actually accomplishing what we came here to do. I promise we'll get some shut-eye tonight."

 _Piiikapi…_

"I'm sorry, Kirin. I'll tell you what: I won't lead with you in there, so try to get some rest at least for a few minutes."

The gym was much larger than Brock's was, and it was clear that it was used for much more than just gym battles as he saw flyers posted outside that mentioned a water show of some form or another. The glass, double, front doors slid apart and Red stepped through the threshold. The entryway was a long, curving hallway to his left, and with each step he took small lights lining the floor on either side of him lit up. The inner wall on his right-hand side was made of a thick glass and upon closer inspection he realized that it was actually one large, continuous fish tank.

"So this place really does double as an aquarium, cool!"

He walked up to the glass and peered inside and saw the shadows of several Pokémon within. Many were fish Pokémon with a pure white underbelly and vibrant orange patches on top and along its fins that resembled lace in their appearance. It also had a small, solitary horn atop its head and what looked to be rose pink lips. There were many of them, all between one or two feet in length. The Pokémon that caught Red's eye next was easily twice the size of the others. Its body was bright orange with majestic white fins bearing black spots and had a single horn on its head, larger than that of the other fish. As he continued along he noticed more Water Type Pokémon: a small, and quite adorable, sky blue sea horse Pokémon with an off-white underbelly that periodically spewed black ink from its mouth that dispersed into the water in a black cloud and dissipated quickly. There were a few of them floating around and Red noticed them trailing behind a similar Pokémon that was thrice the size of the others and looked menacing in contrast to the smaller ones, with large spiny fins that were matched by spines along its head and back. Red held his PokéDex up to the glass and scanned each of the Pokémon inside the tank, adding partial data for Goldeen, Seaking, Horsea, and Seadra respectively. Further back in the tank he saw a built-in cave hidden behind the seaweed and kelp lining the floor. In the shadow of the cave opening, Red thought he saw the silhouette of another one of the seahorse Pokémon, but it looked like it would dwarf even the Seadra. When he tried to get more information on it, the PokéDex said that there was no entry found for the aquatic creature, so Red continued forward.

"This is really cool, seeing all of these Water Type Pokémon, but we have a lot to do: most notably earn our second badge. Let's worry about the PokéDex later, Kirin. What do you say?"

 _Pi!_

"Great, let's move out and get that badge!"

The team quickened their pace as they moved through the remainder of the long hallway towards the back of the building. After what had felt like several very long minutes, Red and Kirin found themselves in a large, open area with an Olympic size swimming pool crossing nearly the full breadth of the room. Running parallel to the pool on either side were bleachers. Up above their heads the duo saw the large dome that made up the roof of the area. The white tile that served to cover the entirety of the floor was pristine as though it had just received a thorough cleaning. To his left, Red noticed a familiar looking face trying to flag him down. _That guy looks really familiar…_

"Yo, Champ in the Making! Hey, c'mon over here!" the suspenders-wearing man called out to Red.

"Hey, have we met before, mister?" asked Red, trying to be as polite as possible.

"Dude, how could you not remember me? I gave you the rock-solid tips you needed to beat Brock back in Pewter City, kid!"

 _Come to think of it…he does look just like that one guy, but how did he get here before me?_

"Uhh yeah, sure I remember you; you told me that I needed Grass or Water Type Pokémon to make short work of Brock, right?"

"Yeah! That's it! See? You do remember me after all! I'm so glad!"

 _If nothing else, I do remember his enthusiasm…_

"So, Champ-to-be, are you ready to take on the gym leader here and snag another badge on your path to the top?"

Red was starting to feel the competitive spirit within him surge up to the surface and a big grin spread across his face as he nodded to the man.

"Well then let's get happening! The gym leader here in Cerulean is Misty, and she's known all over the city as 'The Tomboyish Mermaid'; once you meet her you'll see what I'm talking about. She may be a girl, but don't let her catch you taking her lightly; she's as rough and tough as they come!" he cautioned Red, "As you no doubt have guessed by now, Misty specializes in Water Type Pokémon, and when I say 'specializes' I mean it; she's a true adept! Make sure you have that Bulbasaur handy, and make full use of that Pikachu on your shoulder, as her Pokémon will be weak to both Grass and Electric Types! I'll be watching your match from over here. And one last thing, don't get distracted by the crowd of people that may sit in the stands while you battle. It's pretty commonplace around here for Misty to make a performance out of the gym challenges."

Red nodded and shook the man's hand. "Thanks again mister…"

"It's Guy. Jim Guy. Good luck out there, kid!"

 _He…can't be serious…"Jim Guy"? That seems just a little on the nose…_

Red noticed a lifeguard tower with someone sitting atop it at the opposite end of the pool. He crossed the tile floor and climbed up the ladder to meet who he had surmised to be the gym's leader, Misty. When he reached the top of the small tower he saw a young girl, no older than himself, basking in the sun on a white folding chair. The girl had short, dirty blonde hair that was cut to hug and shape her face. She had relatively fair skin despite the amount of sun she probably received on a regular basis, though Red could see the beginnings of a warm tan showing on the parts of her body that weren't covered by the white, one-piece bathing suit, she wore on her slender-but-muscular frame. The bathing suit bore a blue stripe around the collar and a pair near her upper thighs. After a moment of staring, the girl cleared her throat, causing Red to jump.

"Hi. Are ya finished staring?" the young girl curiously asked Red.

"Staring? Me? No, I wasn't staring I promise," he said as he quickly recomposed himself, "I'm actually here for a gym badge!"

"Well you're certainly a new face!" she said as she jumped up from her seat, threw on a light blue jacket, and bounded over the side of the lifeguard tower. "You know, only trainers who have a dedicated policy about Pokémon can turn pro. What's your approach when it comes to catching and training Pokémon?" she asked as Red climbed down to follow her. "Welcome to the Cerulean City Gym! My name is Misty, and my policy is an all-out offensive with Water Type Pokémon!"

 _A "dedicated policy" huh? What is my policy with Pokémon?_

As Red thought about Misty's question, a crowd of people began to pour in through the doors to the stadium and fill the stands. Two long platforms emerged from the depths of the pool, shrinking the pool to the size of a standard arena. Misty stood on the far side and Red made his way to the guest side and came to a stop when he stood in the center of the platform.

"Well? Do you have a policy for Pokémon?" Misty asked Red again.

"I think that's something that I'm trying to discover along my journey." He finally responded as a handful of smaller platforms floated to the pool's surface, presumably for non-Water Type Pokémon to stand on.

"Alrighty then. Well I sure hope you can multitask and mull it over while I beat you," Misty announced as she sent out her first Pokémon, "Staryu, go!" Misty's Pokémon was a large, orange, five-pointed starfish Pokémon bearing a bright red ruby in its center that was surrounded by a golden crest.

"Okay, Kirin, I said that you could rest the first part of this battle, so that's what you're going to do," Red said to his Pikachu as he grabbed a Poké Ball off his belt and threw it forward. "Let's get to it, BruteRoot!"

The lights surrounding the arena dimmed and the lights directly overhead brightened dramatically as both Pokémon took their positions on opposite sides of the battlefield.

"Let the show begin!" Misty shouted, commencing the start of the match. "Staryu, use Water Gun!" The starfish hopped out of the water and stood on two of its appendages on one of the floating platforms and fired a stream of water at the defending Grass Type.

"BruteRoot, we can't outpace that thing in its own environment, but you still hold the type advantage. Make careful movements and we'll time our counterattacks just like when we faced Blue!" Red's Bulbasaur stood its ground and braced for the incoming stream of water. The attack hit directly, but was almost entirely ineffective and BruteRoot's HP bar on the stadium screen barely moved by a sliver. Misty grimaced as she watched the Grass Type sway back and forth happily in the shower provided by its opponent. "That's the way!"

"Staryu, that's enough," Misty called for her Pokémon to cease its attack that clearly wasn't working, "Use Tackle instead!" The Staryu hopped back into the pool and sped through the water towards BruteRoot.

"Okay BruteRoot, it's on a linear course; now's your chance to strike with Razor Leaf!" No sooner had the words left its trainer's mouth than the Pokémon fired off a salvo of sharp leaves at the Staryu from within its bulb.

Just as the ranged attack started to connect with its intended target and deal damage, the gym leader called out for her Pokémon to counter the strike. "Staryu, don't let those continue to hit you like that…use Rapid Spin!" The Staryu leaped out of the water, flipped its body horizontally and began rotating at high speed. It hurdled itself at Red's Bulbasaur and was mere feet away from smashing directly into him, when Red called out for another counterattack.

"Vine Whip now, buddy, grab it!" Twin vines shot out from under its bulb and wrapped themselves around the incoming Water Type. He then used Staryu's own momentum, combined with a little centrifugal motion, to toss it clear across the pool and back to where it had started.

The crowd filling the bleachers all cheered at the back and forth display of skill and both trainers looked around the arena, acknowledging their audience's support and attention. Misty took a bow to both sides of the arena and Red, slightly embarrassed, removed his hat, smiled, and ruffled his hair before replacing his hat and returning his attention to the battle.

"Hey, you! That was quite the display of skill: going back-and-forth with me like that. I applaud you for that," Misty called out to Red, "but this battle has barely even begun!"

"Oh don't you worry, we're just getting warmed up!" … _In more ways than one, Misty._

"Is that right? We'll see about that! Staryu, use Swift!" Misty's Pokémon hopped out of the water again and fired a barrage of miniature, star-shaped blasts at BruteRoot. "Let's see you avoid that!

"BruteRoot, try to counter with a heavy salvo of Razor Leaf!" As instructed, BruteRoot fired a continuous salvo of the attack, but the star-shaped projectiles cut right through them and continued on their path. "Try to dodge out of the way!" The Bulbasaur attempted to strafe to its left and avoid the attack, but at the last second the projectiles altered their trajectory and struck him hard in the side.

Misty chuckled with pride. "Swift is a move that homes in on its target and follows them even if they move; it's a virtually unavoidable attack!"

 _That was unexpected. I shouldn't have been caught off-guard like that; I'll have to remember that attack's properties in the future…Time to finish that thing off though!_

"You're doing great, BruteRoot, but it's time to shift gears!"

"Staryu, finish it off with another Rapid Spin!" Misty ordered her Pokémon. The Water Type rotated and sped across the surface of the pool towards the opposing Pokémon.

"BruteRoot…now!"

Red's Bulbasaur shifted its weight and turned to face the oncoming attack. As he did, the bulb on his back opened up and a bright light began to pour out from within, concentrating into a small orb of energy that rapidly tripled in size.

Misty tried to call out to her Pokémon to change its trajectory, but by then its linear path was set and couldn't be veered off from. BruteRoot fired off a large Solarbeam attack and the solar energy collided with Staryu head-on. The force from the projectile not only halted the Water Type's advance, but smacked it right out of the air and sent it sailing back to its trainer – unable to continue the battle. Red celebrated with his Pokémon and the crowd applauded the two.

"You're a lot better than I thought you'd be," shouted Misty from her side of the battlefield, "I'll give you at least that much credit! It looks like I'll have to turn things up a bit!"

"Let's keep this momentum, buddy!" Red encouraged the Bulbasaur as they awaited the gym leader to send out her final Pokémon.

Misty sent out what looked to be a much larger starfish Pokémon with an indigo body and the same large ruby in the center with the golden crown. Its body looked to be made up of two individual, five-pointed halves, one behind the other, that rotated separately from one another. Red and BruteRoot nodded to each other and the Bulbasaur hopped back into fighting position.

"This is Starmie, the evolved form of Staryu; don't expect it to go down as easily!" Misty called out.

"You heard her, BruteRoot, let's give this everything we've got!" shouted Red.

The Bulbasaur was ready to continue. There was an unmistakable look of determination on his face that visually displayed its desire to impress its trainer. Red could sense it too. He had noticed a viable change in his Pokémon's focus and demeanor since it was defeated against Brock and again against Blue. Each time Red had to recall him, BruteRoot had looked utterly disappointed with himself. But each time that had happened, he displayed a vast improvement in skill and reaction time. The two had bonded so well that Red hardly had to finish speaking his orders now before the Grass Type responded to them perfectly. That being the case, with the young stage that the Pokémon was still at, held great things for their future together and only made them work even harder.

"BruteRoot, I need you to charge up as much solar energy as you can; you're going to have to try and stick to the sunlit areas of the field whenever possible."

Misty was getting impatient with the delay, and took it upon herself to resume the match at a pace of her preference, sending Starmie into the pool. Just as soon as the starfish had hopped into the water, its rear body began to spin like a boat propeller, rapidly jettisoning it through the pool.

 _So that's what that thing can do. Alright we need to slow this down-_

Red found himself cut off mid-sentence as a blue aura surrounded the Starmie and it suddenly shot forward at an incredible speed, slamming directly into BruteRoot and taking a large chunk of its health bar with it.

 _What was that?!_

"Hahaha that was just a taste of what Starmie's Rapid Spin can do. You should feel lucky that you're using a water-resistant type, otherwise that one attack alone would have been game over!"

"I'll count my lucky stars later…BruteRoot, spread Stun Spore over as wide an area as you can!" The Bulbasaur grimaced momentarily before blasting a plume of the sparkling, golden dust over the entirety of the pool arena. Starmie became covered in the paralyzing dust and quickly sunk to the bottom of the pool in its debilitated state. "That gave us some time; now's your chance to power up your Solarbeam, BruteRoot!" Light absorbed into his bulb and he began to glow, but not from the Solarbeam energy. The light that signified an evolution surrounded the Pokémon Red received from Professor Oak, and he grew in size by more than a foot and his legs grew to look more muscular. The bulb on his back folded open, revealing what looked like a large, rose pink, tulip bulb, followed by equally large fern leaves spreading out from underneath it. "BruteRoot, you evolved into an Ivysaur! I'm so proud of your hard work!"

BruteRoot quickly turned its attention to its Water Type opponent that was now shaking off the effects of the Stun Spore. It rose from the depths of the pool and fired a pulsing wave of ring-shaped water at the newly-evolved Pokémon as Misty called out, "Hit it with your Water Pulse, Starmie!"

The aquatic rings collided with BruteRoot, and while they caused little damage to the Grass Type, Red could feel that something was amiss following the attack. "BruteRoot, we need to end this now…Fire!"

The Solarbeam nearly blasted Red right in his face, and Kirin barely had any time to leap away from the attack either.

 _Pika pi!_ The Pikachu exclaimed in confusion towards its teammate.

"BruteRoot, what was that for?! What's wrong?" Red asked his Ivysaur before getting a good look at his Pokémon's eyes that were uncannily bloodshot. _Oh no, he's afflicted with confusion; that must be a secondary property of Water Pulse!_

Misty gained a smug look across her face as she knew that she had gained a significant advantage. "Evolving mid-battle was impressive, but that's not going to be enough to save your Pokémon now…"

 _What does she have planned…?_

"…Starmie, use Ice Beam!" A chilling ray of ice shot from Starmie's gem and made its way toward its opponent.

"BruteRoot, please you have to dodge; you need to snap out of it!" Red's new Ivysaur reacted to its trainer's plea, shaking its head and coming to its senses, but it was a second too late. The Ice Beam attack struck dead-on. Ivysaur had regained control of its faculties, but only in time to be enveloped in a block of ice, frozen solid and unable to move or continue the battle. Red ran over to his ice-encased Pokémon, putting his hands against the freezing cold surface, and stared into his partner's eyes. BruteRoot looked back sadly at Red for a moment before diverting his gaze in disappointment. Red stood back up and recalled his Pokémon back into its capsule. _You fought hard, BruteRoot…thank you._

Red took a deep breath and looked back across the pool at the trainer who stood between him and his team's next badge. "I clearly still have a long way to go as a trainer, if I can't win even with my Pokémon evolving. There's a lot more to Pokémon battling than it gives away on the surface level, and a trainer's own skill and experience is no less important to the outcome of a match than the power of their Pokémon." He turned to his Pikachu, who was standing beside him following the near case of friendly fire, and smiled. "You ready for your first gym battle, pal?"

 _Pi!_

"Good. Let's not let our friend's efforts go to waste, ok?"

Kirin nodded back with a bright smile. He was just as eager to prove himself as he was to avenge his defeated comrade. He hopped forward onto the battlefield and began to spark all over. "We'll finish this, Kirin. You should be able to stand toe-to-toe with Starmie in the speed department. Stay on the move and we'll win this!"

"So you think your mouse can keep up with Starmie do ya? We'll just see about that! Starmie, use Water Pulse!"

"Kirin, use Quick Attack, get in its face!" Kirin glowed white and dashed forward in a zigzag path across the floating platforms. Starmie fired its watery rings of the Water Pulse attack at the oncoming Electric Type Pokémon, but Kirin leaped into the air and corkscrewed through the entire line of them without missing a beat or veering off course from his target. He smashed into Starmie, hitting it dead center of its gem causing it to crack. The starfish hopped backwards in an attempt to put distance between it and the Pikachu, but Kirin quickly closed the gap again, this time firing off a Thundershock that caught the Starmie in mid dodge and sent it reeling backwards into the pool.

Misty was taken completely by surprise and clearly wasn't used to someone battling against her effectively at this pace. "Starmie, use Recover!" The Pokémon quickly rose out of the water, landing on one of the floating platforms, and began to glow white. The glowing began to flash rapidly as the Starmie's center gemstone sealed up its cracked surface and became good as new. "Whew…that has to be the first time I've ever had to use Recover with Starmie in the middle of a battle! You know, you're really something else."

"Thanks, but it's not just me; my Pokémon are the ones who put forth the effort that brings them to victory. I've had a lot of time now to think about your question from earlier and I've come up with an answer: I've come across many different types of trainers and Pokémon already on my journey, each with their own unique styles and characteristics, and I can see the reasoning behind each one of their choices. For myself, I desire to bring out the very best of any type or species of Pokémon that I happen to catch and battle with, just as my partners help to bring out the very best in me – that is my policy!"

"Huh. That's quite the policy; I commend you for that. Starmie, let's get back in this; use Surf!" Misty's Pokémon jumped back into the pool and summoned a large wave that threatened to crash down on Kirin, crushing him beneath its force, effectively ending Red's challenge of this gym.

 _Ooooookay, that's big…really big…_

"Kirin, you need to get out of the way of that attack; it's too large for you to take!" Kirin frantically glanced around for a way to avoid the oncoming tidal wave. He leaped through the air and landed on a much smaller floating platform that left little room for error in movement. Still with little time before being hit by the wave, Red decided that he needed to step in. Conventional means weren't going to work right now. Spying a short surfboard, he took hold of the red board and threw it with all his might towards Kirin. "Use this to get around it!"

Kirin leaped onto the surfboard in mid-air, landing parallel to the wave. He crouched down as low as he could on the board and used his tail to shift his weight, allowing him to cut into the wave and steer himself around the attack. The crowd watched and cheered in amazement at the 'surfing' Pikachu. When he had gotten all the way around the wave, Kirin sprung from the surfboard towards Misty's Starmie who fired an Ice Beam at the oncoming Electric Type. Kirin deftly twisted his body in mid-flight and dodged the chilling ray before landing right on top of his purple starfish opponent.

"Thundershock…now!" Red shouted.

Leaving Starmie no time to react, Kirin loosed a heavy jolt of electricity from all over his body before hopping off his opponent's face. The Starmie sparked all over from the heavy electric attack before falling over, passed out.

"And the winner is the challenger!" said an announcer over the loudspeaker as Starmie's health bar fell to zero. The entire crowd rose to their feet in ovation at the display of skill from both trainers and applauded Red in his victory. Kirin leaped into its trainer's arms as Misty crossed the pool towards the duo.

"I can't believe that I lost," the Gym Leader offered as she reached Red and Kirin, "but you really were too much! Your skill as a trainer goes much deeper than just picking the right Pokémon to face me; you were spot-on with your policy on Pokémon: you really do bring out the very best of whatever Pokémon you're battling alongside, and I respect you for that. Now, for the reason you were here in the first place," Misty reached into an inside pocket of her jacket and offered her open hand out to Red, "You can have the official Pokémon League Cascade Badge to show that you beat me. That badge will make stronger Pokémon recognize your skill as a trainer. There's more too; you can use the field move, HM 01 Cut, outside of battle to cut down small trees that may block your path. For giving me and my Pokémon such a great battle I'll also give you my favorite TM, Water Pulse, it deals damage and might even confuse the opponent; teach it to an aquatic Pokémon!"

Red took his new badge in hand and proudly pinned the blue teardrop right beside the Boulder Badge he had won from Brock. "Thank you so much Misty. Your team gave us a real run and we had a great time. Isn't that right, Kirin?"

 _Piiiiiikaa!_

The trainers shook hands and Red left the arena with renewed purpose as the crowd continued to applaud him. "First stop is the Pokémon Center to get you and BruteRoot all rested up, pal. Then from there we'll make our way to the next city and another badge!" He saw Jim Guy out of the corner of his eye standing in ovation with the rest of the spectators of his match, and waved goodbye to the helpful man as he left. Red knew that his Pokémon needed rest, but also that he had a lot of ground to make up after having spent extra time in this area, and so he made his way to the Cerulean PokéCenter as quickly as he could.

"Sir?" the soft voice and gentle nudge of a young woman's hand woke Red up, "Sir, I'm sorry to have woken you but your Pokémon have been restored to perfect health."

Red rubbed his eyes and yawned wide as the clinic nurse held out a tray with BruteRoot's Poké Ball and Kirin sitting on it. He reached out and retrieved the capsule as the Pikachu assumed its customary perch. "Thank you, Ms." Red bowed his head as he rose to his feet and stretched, trying to wake up the rest of his body. "Let's update mom and the Professor before we get outta here." Red offered as he walked over to the clinic's public, video phone. Deliah answered after the first ring, her motherly pride brimming across her face.

"Hi honey, it's so good to hear from you! How's my ace team doing?"

"Hi mom, I'm doing well. We just finished up our match at the Cerulean Gym, and the Gym Leader there really gave us a good run for our money, but Kirin here saved the day!" he said with pride, scratching his Pikachu behind the ear.

"That's wonderful news, Red! The area around Cerulean City is beautiful. If you have the chance, you should definitely take the time to visit the cape and lighthouse to the north."

"We actually already did, and met the resident of the mansion next to that lighthouse, Bill. He actually developed the PC Storage and Transfer technology that every trainer uses. He's unbelievably smart, so it's no surprise that he told me his favorite Pokémon is his Alakazam." Red explained and recounted the events of his adventure on the cape.

"Oh my, Bill lives up there now? This large world seems so small some days!"

"You know Bill, mom?"

"Why yes, I do! He studied under Professor Oak years ago. I had the chance to meet him when the PC Storage system was only an idea on paper and a dream in his heart. He's not much older than you, but he's a true genius when it comes to knowledge of Pokémon and technology. I'm glad that you had a chance to meet and learn from him.

"He seemed like a pretty down to earth guy, though I could tell that he was definitely a PokéManiac under the surface. Now that my Pokémon are all rested up, I should really call the professor and then head back onto the road again. I have a lot of ground to make up for since I stayed in the Cerulean area for a lot longer than I originally planned to. I love you, mom!"

"I love you too, my champion. Stay safe out there, and go get your next badge!"

Red hung up the line and then dialed Oak Research Labs, in Pallet. After several rings there was still no answer. He scratched the back of his head in thought as he wondered what would be keeping Professor Oak from picking up the line. "Ya' think that maybe he's really deep in some research or something right now, Kirin?"

 _Pika?_ Kirin tilted his head, as one of his long pointy ears flopped to the side.

"Eh. Who knows? I guess we'll just have to make up for it with a much larger update on our PokéDex progress when I call him in the next town," Red shrugged and hung up the video phone, "Speaking of which, where should we head to next?" The duo exited the clinic, waving goodbye to the always helpful and sweet nurses, and made their way through town. Red reached into his pack and retrieved his holographic Town Map and opened it up. The map showed a bright red flashing dot in Cerulean City, indicating his current location in the region. "Where to next…the map shows that the next closest place is going to be Saffron City, several miles past Cerulean City's south gate. That looks like it's much larger than any of the cities we've passed through so far; I'm excited to see what a large city like that has!"

 _Piiika!_

No sooner had Red taken ten steps south, he heard a commotion coming from the opposite direction in town. Several police officers ran passed him at a full sprint towards the noises. _Maybe I should see what's going on._ Red followed after the officers and came upon a scene of the lot of them surrounding the house of a Cerulean City resident. There was a small crowd of people also beginning to gather around to find out what was happening and Red needed some answers, so he approached one of the officers. She had shoulder-length, sea green hair that was partially covered by her Cerulean City Police Department uniform's hat. Her uniform was mostly navy blue with red stripes at the end of the sleeves and had a short, pencil skirt. She also wore white gloves and black heels.

"Excuse me?" Red called out to the officer as he reached her, "Excuse me, miss? What's going on here?"

The officer turned her attention to Red. "You'll have to stay back and be careful, young man; the people who live in this house have just been robbed!"

"Robbed? How did that happen? What was stolen?"

"We can't disclose the details to the public just yet, but thank you for your concern. I should introduce myself: I'm Officer Jenny of the CCPD. The residents say that the man who broke into their home just a short while ago looked like he belonged to Team Rocket. You're still just a kid so I wouldn't expect you to know who they are, but - hey are you alright, kid?"

Officer Jenny cut herself off when she saw the drastic change in Red's expression at the mention of Team Rocket. He clenched his fists tightly. _I wonder if it was that same scum that I sent scampering yesterday. That tears it; I'm hunting this organization down!_ Red looked at Kirin and nodded before bolting through the police line and into the residency as Officer Jenny called after him. Once inside, Red was able to see the damage that the thief had done to the occupant's home. There was dirt tracked all over the floor from broken potted plants, books strewn about the place from a toppled-over bookshelf, and a broken table in the dining room. From the looks of things, the thief had been looking for something in particular, rather than having a go at whatever valuables the crying older couple in the living room had in their possession. "What was stolen?" Red asked them right away, getting straight to the point.

"That crook ransacked this place looking for my favorite TM, Dig!" exclaimed the husband. "Well, good for him, he got what he came for and now we have to somehow make sense of this destroyed interior."

Just then, Officer Jenny came rushing inside. "Hey, what are you doing in here kid," directing her attention to Red, "didn't I tell you to stay back? I wasn't trying to be cute you know, it was only for your own protection! If Team Rocket really was behind this attack, then we may have to alert the entire city that their group has begun causing problems up here."

As she was speaking, Kirin hopped down from Red's shoulder and peered out the cracked sliding glass door. His ears began to twitch and he pushed his face up to the glass and then began jumping up and down. "Hey, what is it, Kirin?"

 _Pi! Pi! Pika pi!_

"What? You see someone hiding in the trees outside? Let's move it, pal!" Red flung open the sliding door to the back porch, and he and Kirin both quickly sprang outside.

Officer Jenny called out to him again, "Hey! Where do you think you're going?"

Red tuned out the officer's voice and yelled into the woods behind the house. "I know you're out here, Team Rocket scum! Show yourself or I'll rain lightning on every tree nearby!"

A figure dropped from one of the trees and stepped out of the shadows of the wood. Red cringed when he saw that it was the same man who had tried convincing him to join Team Rocket back on Nugget Bridge. He had a bandage taped over his nose from the punch Red had given him as his response. "Psssh! So it's you! You're still around here, punk? What the hell do you want? I ain't got time to babysit today."

"I want you to give back the TM that you stole, that's what!" Red yelled across the lawn.

"Ha! You're dreaming, punk. Why should I do that? You think I, a member of an elite organization like Team Rocket is worried about a short skirt thinking she has any authority?"

"If you won't give it back on your own, then we'll just have to beat it out of you," Red fumed, "Kirin, let's get to work!"

"Your rat won't help you here, chump! You may have whipped those other punks on the bridge, but your winning streak ends with me!" The Team Rocket Grunt threw off his brown coat, revealing his Team Rocket uniform hidden underneath, and sent out a Pokémon that Red wasn't familiar with personally, but had heard stories of when he was younger. The Pokémon standing before Red and Kirin was bipedal, with the lower half of its body a dark brown and the upper half a mustard yellow. At over 3 feet in height, it towered over Red's Pikachu, and its short, pachyderm trunk nose wobbled up and down and it swayed. Its beady little black eyes were creeping Red out.

"This thing is a Drowzee, Kirin, and it's a Psychic Type Pokémon so it's pretty strong – be careful! Let's start this off with Quick Attack!" Kirin glowed white and dashed forward.

"Drowzee, Headbutt!" the Rocket Grunt called out. The two Pokémon's heads met at once, cancelling out each other's attacks. Both Pokémon jumped backwards after the exchange, and Kirin shook off the effects of the literal head-to-head meeting. The Drowzee appeared unaffected however and swayed back and forth as it awaited its next order.

"Kirin, how are you doing?"

 _Pi!_

"Alright, let's try something else then: time for a Thundershock!" Kirin loosed several tendrils of electricity down upon the Psychic Type, and it appeared to have struck home as the Grunt snarled in frustration. "Great job, Kirin, let's hit it with another one!"

"Drowzee, use Disable – lock that crap from this battle!" The Drowzee teetered back and forth for a moment before zapping Red's Pikachu with some sort of white energy that seemed to hang on to him. When Kirin attempted to use its Thundershock attack again, nothing happened, leaving both trainer and Pokémon perplexed.

"Rats! That Disable worked. We need a new strategy now…Kirin, try using Quick Attack again!" Kirin rushed the Drowzee and attempted to strike it at close range. Kirin's forehead connected with the midsection of the Psychic Type, but was immediately bounced back through the air. As soon as Kirin had landed back on his feet, the Grunt called out for his Pokémon to use Pound and the Drowzee jumped into the air, a surprising feat to Red, and came crashing back down right on top of the Pikachu. Kirin tried shocking the Drowzee again, but to no avail as the attack was still disabled. "Kirin, we need something new!" Red called out. The old couple and Officer Jenny were watching and beginning to worry. "Try using Quick Attack multiple times in succession to circle around it at high speed!" The electric mouse nodded quickly and dashed forward, sprinting at high speed in a circular path around his opponent. The Drowzee, while having a hefty amount of girth and able to withstand and dish out strong physical attacks, was no speed demon, and couldn't keep track of Kirin's movement at all. Red's eyes followed his Pokémon closely, tracking Kirin as he circled the opposing Pokémon. They had a huge speed advantage, but no access to Thundershock to finish the job, and Quick Attack wasn't strong enough to make any headway. "That thing is too fat for your Quick Attack to do enough damage, Kirin, without Thundershock we need something else!"

At that moment, through the blurred imaged of his Pikachu dashing around, Red saw a determined look on his face, and suddenly his tail began to glow bright yellow. Kirin used his momentum from circling the Psychic Type to slingshot himself toward the house. He flew right past Red's face and bounced off the outer wall of the house, shooting himself back towards the Rocket's Pokémon. When he was halfway to his opponent, Kirin whipped its body around as a large ball of electric energy fired from the tip of his tail and connected with the Drowzee. The Psychic Type pachyderm was knocked out instantly and the Grunt began cursing Red before being zapped to his knees by Kirin's restored Thundershock. Officer Jenny quickly handcuffed the smoking Team Rocket member.

"You're going to be coming with me and answering quite a few questions before you even see the inside of a cell." Jenny stated before turning back to Red, "Young man, you helped us out a lot today. Not only that, but you really did a heroic thing even if it was a bit reckless." She held a finger under Red's chin, turned his head, and kissed him on the cheek leaving a small impression of her red lipstick there, before dragging the Grunt away.

Red blushed a little from the gesture before catching Kirin, who leaped into his chest. "Thanks, pal you did great! You even learned Electro Ball!"

"Aha! So that's why it only took one strike to knock that other Pokémon out," mused the old husband of the home, "Electro Ball is an Electric Type attack whose power increases when there's a larger speed differential between the user and the target! Well done, lad. As thanks for your aid, I'd like you to have the TM that rapscallion took from our home. It will allow you to teach the Ground Type move, Dig to any Pokémon that can learn it. Dig is a move where the user burrows into the ground temporarily before attacking from below; but be wary of any Pokémon using moves such as Earthquake or Magnitude, as those moves will hit a burrowed Pokémon for double the normal damage!"

"Thank you, sir!" Red and Kirin shook the couple's hands and then headed off the property, finally ready to continue their adventure.

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

This chapter had quite a hefty amount of action! Not only did Red and co' have their second successful gym challenge, against Misty, but they also had to take on another Team Rocket member! Not getting ahead of ourselves here, what did you guys think about the Cerulean Gym battle? I hope you liked the nod to "surfing Pikachu" as much as I did. As stated in a previous set of notes, I try to keep the battles as unique as possible and have some really intriguing exchanges. BruteRoot evolving mid-battle was cool, but sad that he was again unable to finish a gym leader off on his own. Red and his Ivysaur still have a long way to go to reach the top of the mountain. Red's periodic check-in calls with Deliah and Professor Oak keep the pacing steady and serve to keep the important people in his life filled in on what he's been up to, just like when you check your PokeDex progress on the PC in the games! Giving the minor characters in each chapter some personality of their own is a fun thing to do as well. I'm always wondering to myself while writing, "I wonder what this character would be like if they had a larger role in the story? Or how do they interact with other people? Thoughts and queries below!

RED'S TEAM. 2 BADGES:

*Vulcan & Ashgar (Charmanders)

\- BruteRoot (Ivysaur)

\- Talon (Pidgeotto)

\- Beast (Nidoking)

\- Kirin (Pikachu)


	23. The Scenic Route

**The Scenic Route**

The last day had been filled with more surprises than Red and his team had anticipated, and the apparent streak seemed to possess a desire to continue. Red left Cerulean City's south gate in an attempt to head to Saffron City, the next closest on his map. Route 5 was uneventful, and apart from a Meowth, a small, off-white, Normal Type feline Pokémon with a golden coin on its forehead and a penchant for all things shiny, Red couldn't find any new Pokémon to record data on. He was stopped short by the guards tending the gate. They had all mentioned something about being parched before telling him that the roads leading into the city were currently closed. That had thrown a kink in Red's plans for the day and so he trudged back up Route 5. On his failed trek south on the route towards Saffron he had spied a lone building resting on a hill in the road's center. Unsure of what else to do, he shrugged and made his way there.

 _Pokémon Daycare, huh?_

"I didn't know there was such a thing, Kirin, did you?" Red asked his Pokémon as he stared at the sign posted in front of the building. It was much larger up close than it had appeared from the road.

 _Pi-ka?_ The electric mouse tilted his head and twitched his ears back and forth.

"We may as well check it out while I try to come up with a solution to the block in our road." He shrugged again and lightly rapped his knuckles against the door.

"Come in!" he heard a man's voice boom from within, and stepped through the threshold. Inside he saw an older, solitary man in dark grey dress slacks and a matching vest with a black dress shirt underneath. The man's sleeves were rolled up as though he had been working diligently with his hands despite his formal choice of clothing. "Why, hello there young lad! Welcome to my Pokémon Daycare!"

Red shook the man's hand and was surprised by the strength of his grip. "Hello, sir. This may sound like an ignorant question, but I've never heard of a 'Pokémon Daycare' before; what exactly do you do here?"

The man laughed and patted Red on the shoulder, again, Red was caught off-guard by the man's strength and nearly buckled forward. "Not at all, not at all! I'm so very glad that you've asked! Quite simply put, trainers leave their Pokémon here with me and I raise them for the duration. I used to be a hot-shot trainer of sorts myself, and I understand the difficulty of raising a multitude of companions all at once. Sometimes parents will have picked out a Pokémon as a companion for their young child, but possess no experience of their own in raising them, and so they leave it with me to be house-trained."

The idea made sense to Red, and he was intrigued by the notion, but ultimately he wanted to raise his Pokémon himself.

"So, young man, would you like me to raise one of your Pokémon for you?"

Red smiled and looked up at Kirin on his shoulder and shook his head, "No thank you sir. I think I'll continue to raise my team to the best of my ability on my own. Together we can overcome any obstacle in our way." He shook the man's hand again.

"Very well, lad. You have a certain fire in your eyes that I have not seen for a very long time, and your Pokémon share it, he noted as he looked at Red's Pikachu. I have no doubt that you will go far together. However, if ever you should require my services, you know where to find me. Incidentally, I noticed on your initial pass you were heading south towards Saffron City; what brought you back this way?"

Red and Kirin both sighed, "Apparently all roads to Saffron City are currently closed; the guards didn't specify as to why. Saffron was next on my list of Pokémon Gyms to tackle, as it was the nearest, so now with no means of getting there I'm sort of stuck."

"All roads to Saffron are closed you say? Strange indeed…Fortune smiles on you however, my young friend! It's most fortuitous that you came by, for I know of an underground passage, one easily missed unless you already know where to find it, that will allow you to continue on your journey to becoming the Pokémon master that I sense lies within you. Head south, but when you again reach the guard gate to Saffron, turn east and you will see a small path hidden behind the trees; follow that path until you reach a lone building. It will be small and easy to miss, but inside you shall find a set of stairs leading to an underground path. That path is part of a system of tunnels that have been used for centuries. When you emerge you will be at the northern end of Route 6, near the port city of Vermilion; there you will find another gym to challenge."

"That's fantastic! Thank you, sir!" Red gratefully shook the man's hand once more and left the daycare, heading south once again, as he'd been directed.

Red finally came upon the entrance to the underground path the Daycare Man had spoken of. A middle-aged woman sat on a bench inside the small building, and only gave Red a small nod as a sign of acknowledgement. Kirin tightened his grip on Red's shoulder as they descended the stairs to the tunnel. "Don't worry, pal. I don't think we'll run into any trouble down here; it sounds like it's not a widely known road."

 _Pi…_

The underground path was long, but littered with small lights along either side of the path, as well as hanging lamps roughly every fifty yards. His hunch that the path was relatively unknown to most people had been spot-on, as he passed no more than two other travelers on his way through the tunnel, and neither of them had been trainers. When the team had finally reached the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel, Red felt a rush of adrenaline and relief. His experience inside Mt. Moon had left a sour taste in his mouth for being underground, and he was thankful to once again be stepping out into the open world and its fresh air. Two things were on the forefront of Red's mind: a battle, and a meal. He had done enough walking without conflict of any sort and was itching to get some warm-up battles in before he took on the Vermilion City Gym. At the same time, he and his team were all famished and equally desiring a hot meal. As they carefully made their way down the gently sloping hill that was Route 6, Red spotted multiple people that looked like they might be fellow trainers itching for a match.

"Hey there!" Red called out to the first kid he saw, who as he got closer looked to be a Bug Catcher.

"Hi! You look like a new face; you wanna battle?" the trainer asked as Red approached, and sent out a Weedle.

"Sure do!" Red was slightly disappointed that his opponent was another Bug Catcher trainer, but he also knew that Talon could use the exercise, and so he grabbed his Pidgeotto's ball off his belt and lobbed it into the air.

The Bug Catcher barely had time to grimace before Talon cut through his entire line-up of Bug Type Pokémon. He laughed and shook hands with Red before heading into town to heal his team, calling out to the rest of the trainers on the road, "Hey, watch out for this guy, he's really good!" The other trainers looked back at Red as he neared the next one along the road, clearly interested in seeing how good the new face to their training grounds really was. The next trainer waved Red down and sent out a Pokémon that he had yet to battle, but had done more than his fair share of research on, a Squirtle. The tiny turtle Water Type had been one of the three Pokémon at Professor Oak's lab the day he started his journey, but he'd opted for Bulbasaur instead. The trainer's Squirtle hopped up and down excitedly and swayed its curled tail to and fro, ready to start the match.

"Alright, Talon, you're up again!" Red called down his trusty flyer, who had been hovering overhead following their Bug Catcher clash. He dove down from the sky and landed on his trainer's forearm. "This Squirtle will be a new challenge for you, buddy, so give it your best!"

"Squirtle, use Bubble!" The tiny turtle inhaled deeply before exhaling a stream of bubbles at Red's Pidgeotto.

"Okay, Talon, let's blow those bubbles back at them with your Gust!" Talon rapidly beat his wings as it kicked up a small twister towards the incoming water attack. The bubbles quickly became caught in the dust devil and then smacked right back into the Squirtle in a machine gun of tiny aquatic explosions.

"Whoa! That was wicked, guy! I never thought Squirtle's attack could be countered that way. We'll have to keep that in mind for the future. Squirtle, let's get up in their face now with a Tackle!" The Water Type moved with haste to its aerial opponent, receding into its shell at the last moment and slamming into Talon who was grounded instantly. "Great! Now let's follow that up with Bite!"

"Time to get up, buddy! Use Sand Attack to distract it and get back into the air!" Red called out, and Talon hopped back to his feet and began furiously kicking as much debris into his opponent's face as he could. When the Squirtle stopped its advance to wipe the sand and dust out of its eyes, Talon returned to the sky. "Now let's use your speed to finish this…Quick Attack!" His body taking on a white glow, Talon dove at the Water Type with all the force it could muster.

"Squirtle, use Withdraw to boost your defense and brace for the impact!" The other trainer ordered, and the Squirtle hid inside its shell just as Talon collided with it. The turtle was sent hurtling through the air but emerged from its shell just in time to land on all fours. "That was a close one, Squirtle. These guys really are something else. Bubble attack, then charge forward and Bite down hard!" Once again, the tiny turtle inhaled and blew a stream of bubbles towards the Pidgeotto, but this time immediately charged his foe after it loosed the water attack. Talon tried to bat the Bubble attack away with its wings, but not before the Squirtle's maw clamped down on one of them.

"Talon!" Red cried out as his Pidgeotto squawked from the force of the Bite. "You have to throw him off of you; try to blow him away with Gust!" Talon tried flapping his wings but couldn't muster up the strength to throw the Squirtle off its wing. "Try a Whirlwind!" At its trainer's suggestion, Talon drew back his wings, leaving the Squirtle with a shocked and worried look on its face, and beat them forward with immense force such as to send the small Water Type turtle flying through the air and crashing into its own trainer, too exhausted to continue the battle. Talon shook out his wings and trilled happily as he returned to his trainer's forearm. "Great job, Talon!"

"Well, shoot, I thought for sure we had that one. Thanks for the battle, guy. Good job Squirtle," he told his Pokémon as he returned it to its Poké Ball, "We can't win 'em all, but we'll win next time for sure!"

Talon continued to prove to be in a workout mood, as after a quick application of Potion, he resumed his conquest of the Route 6 trainers, a task that even put him up against the final evolutionary stage of Caterpie, a Butterfree. When the last of the trainers along the road had been sent packing to town, Red was famished, but proud of his Pokémon for putting in such great work.

Vermilion was a beautiful city and connected Kanto to the neighboring regions of Johto in the west, and Hoenn to the south, via sea transport. There were a number of ships docked at the port, but the one that Red could see immediately in the distance was the crown jewel of Kanto's oceanic transportation, the luxury ocean liner S.S. Anne. Red had other things to take care of first, such as rest and a meal for him and his team, but in the back of his mind he recalled Bill's words telling him to attend the trainer party on the cruise ship in his stead.

The hot meal at the cafeteria inside the Vermilion City Pokémon Center was like a little taste of heaven for Red and his team once they'd received their treatment from the center nurses. That little bit of R&R was just what they needed to get back on their feet. After thanking the staff, they left the Pokémon Center and made their way across the city towards the Vermillion City Gym, which was located by the port. Night had fallen and the city was beginning to light up all around Red and he began to feel light-headed. Flashes of the city flooded his mind and blurred faces stood around him as he was whisked away on a gurney amongst the roar of a helicopter's turbines and the blaring of sirens. Suddenly he was shocked back to reality by a jolt of electricity and he came to, to find himself on his back with Kirin standing on top of his chest with a worried expression.

"Thanks, buddy…I'm not sure what happened just now, but I somehow get the feeling that I've been here before."

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

I always really loved the Pidgey line in the games, but was continually frustrated that even the final stage, Pidgeot didn't receive much love in the stat and move pool department. With the dawn of the Alpha Sapphire and Omega Ruby remakes, my dream of ruthlessly beating down opponents with a powerful Pidgeot finally became a reality! Red's Pidgeotto isn't exactly a Mega Evolved Pokemon, but he's definitely putting in work in every battle he participates in an continues to prove himself an indispensable part of his team. We finally see the third Kanto starter Pokemon make an appearance in the story, but it was in the hands of another trainer. Will Red acquire a Squirtle of his own? What capacity will the tiny turtle Pokemon play in the story? What Pokemon do you think Red will get next?


	24. Electric Showdown - Lieutenant Surge

**An Electric Showdown - Lieutenant Surge**

As Red stepped through the threshold of the Vermilion City Gym, his presence was noticed immediately. One of the trainers working at the gym strode over to him to stop him from progressing any further inside.

"Hold up there kid," the man called out as he approached while straightening his bright blonde Mohawk haircut, "the gym's about to close. Half of our trainers have already gone home so no one is going to want to deal with a challenge this late in the evening."

Red shook his head in disappointment and looked up at Kirin, "Darn. I thought we got here in time, but I guess that detour really threw us off. Maybe we shouldn't have spent so much time clearing out the trainers outside the city…"

"What's going on over there, boys?" a voice boomed from the opposite end of the gym.

"Sorry, boss, it's nothing, just some punk kid who's here for a badge match, but I already told him we're closing up and vamoose."

"A badge challenge, eh? It's a little late in the day…" the source of the voice, a monster of a man who was clearly ex-military with his camouflage uniform and combat boots, briskly strode towards Red as he spoke, but when their eyes met he stopped a few feet away, "Wait a minute…No…ya can't be…" The gym leader had the look of a man whose mind was in another time, and as he stared down – way down – at the young challenger before him, Red began to be overcome by the same dizziness that he had just a short while ago in the city. Suddenly he was recalling the sound of a helicopter and being handed to a man with cropped and spiked blonde hair, who then began to climb up the helicopter's ladder.

As the two both returned to reality, Red tried to place a name to the face in front of him. The man brushed a massive hand over the top of his spiked hair and started to chuckle to himself.

"I'm Lieutenant Surge, kid," he offered as he crossed his muscular arms across his chest, "and I'm the leader of this gym and we specialize in Electric Type Pokémon here. You're here to challenge me for the Thunder Badge, right? I accept your challenge. We can take a trip down memory lane after we battle if you like, but I must warn you that I won't go easy on ya just because we've met before."

Red understood the Lieutenant's words. Their having met before wasn't important right now. What was important was the challenge that lay before each of them: Red aiming for his third badge to continue towards the Pokémon League, and Surge fighting to uphold the integrity and status of his gym. Both of them had others counting on them for their victory. Neither could afford to lose.

"So, kid, are ya ready?"

"Yes sir!" Red nodded quickly.

"Alright then, let's get it started!" The Lieutenant grabbed a Poké Ball off of his belt and threw it to the ground with a bright flash of light. What came out of the capsule shocked both Red and Kirin. Standing before them, at nearly 3 feet tall, was the evolved form of Pikachu – a Raichu.

Both Kirin and Red's eyes were wide when they saw the evolved Pokémon. The sight of the large, orange mouse with its long curly ears and much longer tail was a new encounter for Red, and he quickly consulted his PokéDex before he went any further.

 _RAICHU: The Electric Mouse Pokémon, and the evolved form of Pikachu. This Pokémon uses its long tail as a ground in order to protect itself from its own high voltage power which can exceed 100,000 volts. The amount of electricity that runs through this Pokémon's body causes it to give off a slight glow in the dark. When the electricity inside Raichu's body builds, its muscles are stimulated and it becomes more aggressive than usual. When its electrical sacks become excessively charged, the Pokémon will plant its tail into the ground and discharges, creating scorched patches of ground._

Red turned to Kirin, "You want in on this, bud?"

 _PI!_ Kirin quickly replied with a nod and hopped down to the ground.

"Then it's all you, Kirin. You can do this."

"Hey, I see you're using a Pikachu for this match. Are you sure that you don't want to use something that would give you an advantage?" Lt. Surge inquired, questioning Red's decision to use Kirin.

"That would be the obvious choice, it's true, but Kirin deserves a shot to see how he can measure up to his evolved form.," Red explained, "That and he's yet to really be pushed through his paces in a gym battle and I want to see what he can do when he's put up against a truly challenging opponent!"

"That's the attitude! Bring it on, kid! You heard him, Raichu, these two are looking for a challenge and we won't disappoint them!" Surge fired back and leaped backwards as the gym floor opened up and an electrified dome rose up from underneath it. The gym's main lights shut off and huge, overhead spotlights lit up the arena as both Pokémon and trainers took their positions on either side of the field. Lt. Surge's Raichu towered over Kirin at twice his height, but the Pikachu retained a look of determination across his face and he sparked all over his body. Raichu was just as determined to not let its trainer down in this match and also began to spark all over. The electricity between the two mice was building so much that sparks began to fly from their eyes as their gaze locked.

Neither Red nor Surge had the chance to issue a command to their partner. The two Pokémon were drawn magnetically to each other and butted heads before being enveloped by a sphere of electrical current. The free-flowing energy stimulated the muscles of both Pokémon and they took off side by side with one another across the length of the arena.

"Kirin, use Quick Attack to pull away from him!" Red shouted out in an attempt to get some separation between his Pikachu and its opponent.

"Raichu, don't let 'im get away from ya, use Quick Attack too!" Surge shouted in response.

A white glow surrounded the two speeding mice as each one tried to get a speed advantage over the other. Their speeding took them up to the dome itself and they zipped all along the wall and ceiling, never breaking contact. Red struggled to follow the two golden blurs, and couldn't be certain but thought he saw Kirin crack a grin amongst his current serious demeanor. Kirin and Raichu's speed left Red, Lt. Surge, and the other observing trainers in awe. They continued to speed along the dome and arena floor faster and faster, as they each tried to outpace the other. The electrical current that was being generated within the dome could be felt as the air sparked and crackled with intensity. Their mad dash for an upper hand took them to the very center of the dome ceiling followed by the two crashing down to the floor in a massive bolt of lightning that rent the air of the arena. Instantly, the two broke away from each other and shot off in opposite directions – planting their feet on the walls.

"Raichu! Now's yer chance, hit it with Slam!" Surge yelled over the still crackling air of the stadium.

"Kirin you need to counter with Quick Attack!" Red cried out to his Pokémon.

The two still-glowing Pokémon rocketed off the dome wall to meet for a head-on collision. Raichu spread its arms and legs out as far as it could to catch Kirin beneath its girth. Kirin sped towards his opponent at greater speeds than Red had ever seen out of his Pikachu, before calling out at the last second, "Turn your body and shift your weight into him with a Slam of your own, Kirin!"

Kirin twisted in the air during the last few feet of his charge just in time to collide with Raichu. The force of the collision was akin to that of a large firework explosion as the two mice were each flung across the arena, landing on their feet back near their respective trainers. Red could see Kirin's fine and usually undetectable fur standing on end all over his body.

 _Kirin is really getting worked up in this match; I've never seen him get like this before!_

Kirin, panting, quickly looked back over his shoulder at Red, _PI! Pika pi!_ It shouted and threw its hands up in the air.

"You sure you don't need a second to catch your breath, pal?"

 _PIII!_ Kirin yelled and scowled.

"You're really enjoying this battle aren't you? Alright then, no more delays; let's zap him – use Thundershock!"

Kirin sparked and sent a twirling ray of high voltage energy at the Raichu. Lt. Surge, being a master of Electric Type Pokémon, reacted more quickly than Red anticipated, "Raichu, get yourself into the air towards Pikachu and hit it with a real electric attack!"

Raichu stabbed its long pointed tail into the ground and hopped onto it, using it like a springboard to launch itself overhead and escaping the Thundershock. "Good! Now drop a Thunderbolt on that baby!"

 _Thunderbolt?_

Raichu glowed blue momentarily before it loosed a large bolt of lightning that dropped right on top of Kirin, cracking the ground around him and spewing a cloud of dust into the air. When the dust settled, Lt. Surge and his Raichu shared the same wide-eyed shock as they witnessed Kirin standing, unscathed, with its tail raised and glowing bright blue.

"What?! No way! How did that not hit?" Surge exclaimed. "That's Raichu's strongest electrical attack!"

"Alright Kirin, let's try out the power of that Thunderbolt for ourselves shall we?"

 _Pi!_

Kirin tapped the tip of his tail to the middle of his back and the current trapped in it surrounded his whole body as he took on the same blue glow that Surge's Raichu had just moments before. "Your turn, Kirin – Thunderbolt!" The yellow mouse sparked and fired the bolt of lightning at the still shocked orange one.

"Raichu, snap out of it! That can't hurt you; ground yourself!" Surge quickly yelled to snap his Pokémon back into focus.

 _What? What's he talking about…?_

Just as the bolt hit Raichu, it raised its long tail and speared the end of it into the arena floor. The Thunderbolt connected perfectly but was instantly dispersed along the ground.

"That must be what the PokéDex meant about using its tail as a ground, Kirin!" Red called to his partner, "I don't think we have much of a chance to win this by your conventional, electric attacks."

The Lieutenant crossed his arms and chuckled. "That's right, kid! Raichu is able to discharge high amounts of electrical current over thousands of volts. Electric attacks can't harm him as long as he's on the ground and fast enough! I gotta hand it to you, that was a pretty slick trick being able to absorb Raichu's Thunderbolt and send it back almost double. Your Pikachu must have the rare ability of Lightningrod. I've only ever heard that Pikachu can have that ability, and never seen it for myself. I guess you were right on the money with going with him for this match; I've never seen another Electric Type Pokémon give my Raichu such a challenge."

 _Lightningrod, huh? That explains all of those times he's turned electrical energy into power for himself!_

"Kirin, we need to up our game here. You remember the battle you had against that Mankey on Nugget Bridge?"

 _Pika!_

"Great! It's high time we show these guys that you can pack a real punch!" Red winked at his Pikachu as he subtly gave his next command.

Kirin dashed forward as though it was readying a Quick Attack and Raichu crouched before pouncing for another Slam. "Now, Kirin, Mega Punch!" A sphere of white energy surrounded the Pikachu's fist as it flew forward and connected with Raichu's white underbelly. The impact sent the orange mouse crashing into the wall behind its trainer.

"You did it, Kirin!" Red leaped into the air as he praised his Pokémon.

"Not so fast, kid!" Surge cautioned, "That was definitely unexpected, but it ain't over yet!"

Just as the Lieutenant finished speaking, Raichu launched off the dome wall, its own fist glowing white, and unleashed a Mega Punch on Kirin. The yellow mouse flew into the wall behind Red with a loud crash and Red started to rush over to check on his Pokémon, but Kirin suddenly ripped through the air past his head with another Mega Punch.

"Raichu, this little guy has some real guts in 'im. Pound him with another Mega Punch!"

At its trainer's order, Raichu leaped to meet Kirin with another Mega Punch of his own. The two electric mice's fists met in the center of the arena with a thunderous clash, and the force of their attacks meeting shook the gym's foundation. They stayed perfectly met for a moment that felt like a day, their fists perfectly canceling out each other. The electricity between the two Pokémon built up to a peak as sparks flew all around them, causing both of their trainers to jump out of the way of oncoming bolts. Without warning, the two mice shot away from where they had been standing and landed on the walls of the stadium before rocketing towards each other, each of them readying their own Mega Punch attack without the command of their respective trainers. The clash of their fists was like that of a bomb going off inside the gym, and they continued to clash over and over, each time colliding faster and with ever greater force.

Red and Lieutenant Surge were keeping track of the battle as best they could, and both were awestruck by the behavior of their respective Pokémon. At one point, the electric mice halted their martial clashing and stopped in the center of the stage and each unleashed the largest Thunderbolt they could muster. The sheer level of voltage running through the air made the trainers' hair stand on end and caused anything on the ground to begin floating into the air while the two electric attacks built up into a large sphere of electrical current. When it was clear that the Thunderbolt was a stalemate, the Pokémon resumed their Mega Punch Barrage until their fists glowed no longer – exhausted of the energy to use the attack. Both Electric Type Pokémon were panting heavily, clearly fatigued from the lengthy battle. But, much to the surprise of Red and Lt. Surge, they resumed their contest with an exchange of Slams and Quick Attacks, each one trying desperately to best the other.

Seeing the fatigue setting in on his companion, Red hesitantly reached for the Premier Ball that he had initially put Kirin in. His hand hovered over the capsule for seconds as he watched the two combatants, torn between not wanting to see his Pokémon hurt and not wanting to put a stop to its glorious battle.

"Don't!" Red heard Lt. Surge shout from across the battlefield, "Don't call him back! I know that you're concerned for your Pikachu, and that shows deep love for him, but you also need to respect him. Look at your Pikachu's eyes; look at the fire that's burning so hot that it's got the entire arena sparking! Don't ruin this moment for it, no matter if he's going to win or lose. It's not up to us at this point anyways; this stopped being our battle a long time ago – hell, maybe it never was to begin with! From the moment their eyes met, both Pikachu and Raichu have had something to prove to one another. Pokémon have deep passion and burning spirits just as we do, and only the truly great trainers can bring that out of them. Your Pikachu has taken it upon himself to fight this battle for you! You've lit something inside of it and connected on a level far deeper than most trainers can accomplish in their entire lives, and that's not a lack of love or care for their partners, it's just matter of fact that not all trainers have the innate talent to do it. I've never seen Raichu worked up like this, and that's not from me – it's from you; you brought this level of intensity out of my Pokémon! So please, kid, just watch the magic happen and have the pride in your Pikachu that it very much deserves."

Red moved his hand away from Kirin's capsule and clenched his fist. He knew that Surge was right. "Kirin, you've got this buddy! You've done an incredible job so far; keep it up and know that I've got your back no matter what!"

Kirin grinned wide as it heard the confident voice of its trainer cheer him on. Taking on a white aura, he dashed forward for a final Quick Attack, but Raichu whipped its tail around and swept Kirin's legs out from underneath him. As he tumbled through the air, Surge's Raichu grabbed hold of his leg with its tail and flung him skyward. Both trainers and everyone watching held their breath in anticipation of the final moments of the match. Digging deep into the well one last time, Raichu's fist took on the glow that was signature to Mega Punch. With no time or momentum to ready one of his own, Kirin would be unable to counter the powerful attack and Raichu reared its fist as it leaped upward to knock the yellow combatant out of the sky. Suddenly there was a blinding flash of light and Kirin turned in mid-air to face its oncoming assailant before it tore through the air, zig-zagging like a bolt of lightning so fast that it looked as if its body was in multiple places at once. Kirin's attack struck with so much speed and with such force that Raichu hit the floor with megaton-like impact, causing an explosion of dust.

"Open up the dome!" Surge's voice called out as the dome walls receded into the ground and the roof of the gym pulled back to clear the cloud of debris. When the arena had been cleared, Kirin was seen standing on the edge of a crater several feet wide. Both Red and Surge ran up to the crater to check on their respective Pokémon. Red stopped a few feet behind Kirin. "Well, that's that then," Surge said, "This match is over. Your Pikachu is the winner!"

Red and Kirin simultaneously leaped into the air in celebration and Red knelt down to embrace his Pokémon, but before he could, Kirin hopped down into the crater and helped pull Raichu to its feet. When the two mice were once again at ground level they both had enormous grins across their faces, and shook hands in a splendid show of mutual respect for one another after sharing the most intense battle either one had ever been a part of.

"Well I'll be damned! You and your Pikachu are the real deal, kid! Here, take the Thunder Badge – you've earned it." Surge smiled as he placed the badge that resembled a small orange sun in Red's hand.

Red looked down at the badge and over at Kirin staring up at him. "Thank you, Surge, but I didn't earn anything today; Kirin was the one who earned this."

"Ha! Weren't you listening to me at all, kid? Your Pikachu put forth an immense amount of effort and energy to win the match, yes, but who do you think brought that level of fight out of him? It wasn't my haircut, I'll tell ya' that for sure. It was you and the deep bond that the two of you share. That's the type of bond that says you would go to any lengths to protect each other and see one another's dreams made reality. So shut it with the humility and take the badge and this Technical Machine for Shock Wave, an electric attack that is moderate in its power, but under normal circumstances it will never miss!"

"Thank you, sir. You're absolutely right." Red said gratefully as he pinned the badge next to his others on the inside of his shirt and slid the TM into his pack.

"Hmmm…I can tell that yer head still isn't quite right. Come with me, kid." Surge gestured as he proceeded to leave the gym.

The two trainers, along with their Pokémon, left Vermilion City Gym and walked out to the edge of the pier. "You recognized me when we met in there kid, I know this – I could see it in yer eyes." Lt. Surge noted as he stared up at a crystal clear night sky.

"Yes sir, I did." Red acknowledged.

"What I could also see was that you're not sure where you recognized me from, and that's something that I feel I owe to you, especially after that incredible match. My Raichu fought harder than he ever has, and I'm overwhelmingly proud of you for that my friend," he turned and smiled as he gently patted the top of his Pokémon's head, "and I thank you and your Pikachu for such an experience – maybe one that's once in a lifetime! But your life has probably held a lot of questions and you're reaching a point where you're in dire need of some answers. I wish I had all of them, kid, I really do, but I don't. Regardless of that, I'll tell you what I do know," as Surge began his recounting of events, the blurred images of them began to play in Red's mind, "Over a decade ago now, I was ex-military working for the Vermilion City Coast Guard as a rescue helicopter pilot, but was doing some overtime helping out the Olivine City Coast Guard as well. I received a distress call from a team of Pokémon researchers who had gotten themselves trapped in the Silver Mountain Range that separates Kanto and Johto. The weather had been bad, real bad, for a while in that area, with major storms coming up outta nowhere and a lot of people had gone missing while traveling at that time. Me and my co-pilot, Electabuzz, raced to the coordinates that we were given with all God's speed. When we got there, we were met by five scientists, once of which was a pretty, young girl who was holding a little boy in her arms. We quickly got everyone into the helicopter and I had the girl hand the kid over to me so that she could safely climb up. I only looked into his eyes once, right as I was about to climb the ladder with him in tow, but once was all I needed."

Surge paused his tale momentarily to look over at Red, who was staring off into the distance of the dark night ocean. "The kid looked cold and hungry, and like he'd been in the wilderness on his own for longer than anyone should, much less someone so young. We made it back to Olivine as fast as we could and rushed everyone to the hospital. As far as I know, all of the researchers were fine once they'd received bed rest and a meal, and the boy was treated for malnourishment and some other minor conditions. Apart from that, I never saw any of them in person again, that is until you walked into my gym tonight. I only saw them once, but I didn't have to see them any more than that to be able to recognize your eyes, kid."

Red was still trying to process the combination of information and blurred images of his past that were flooding his mind, and he nearly jumped out of his jeans when Lieutenant Surge rested a large, reassuring hand on his shoulder. "You're gonna be alright, kid. You'll figure out what's missing from that head of yers, and along the way you'll probably become the Pokémon League Champion. Keep the desire to find out about who you were burning, but remember that what's important is who you are now and who you strive to be. The past is the past and you can't get hung up on it, war taught me that. But those who I'm close to taught me how to get out of my own head, and to aim to be greater than the events of my past. You should do the same and let your partners shoulder some of the burden because that's what friends do, yeah?"

Red smiled and nodded. He was beginning to understand that his past will always be there, whether he can recognize it or not, and that at least for now, he had more important things to concern himself with: completing the PokéDex for Professor Oak, conquering the Pokémon League, and bringing down Team Rocket. "Thank you, Surge, truly. You've helped me in more ways than I can repay you for." He said as the two shook hands and their Pokémon once again did the same.

"Kid, you gave me what was the best match I've ever had and what'll probably be the best battle I'll ever have. You've got nothing to thank me for. Now you take care of yerself, and go get the rest of the Kanto badges!"

"Sir, yes sir!" Red and Kirin each snapped a salute to their new friends before seeing them off.

"Hey, Kirin, you were amazing today, really. I hope that I can show you how proud I am, and how grateful and honored I am to have you alongside me."

Kirin smiled happily and hopped back onto Red's shoulder and gently nibbled his ear affectionately.

"We've got a lot to do, buddy, so let's get to it!"

 _Piiiiiiikaa!_

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

You've just read what was quite arguably the combination of the most intense battle I've written for this story thus far and the best couple of monologues as well. I knew right away that Red and Lt. Surge's past connection was something that needed to be addressed, and that it would be yet another growing point for our young protagonist. Pikachu versus Raichu was always one of my favorite clashes in the original series of the TV show, but I knew also that I wanted to out-do that battle and tell a different story than Ash's Pikachu simply not wanting to evolve in order to win a badge. A lot of this epic clash of electric mice was inspired by my adolescent obsession with Dragon Ball Z and other action/battle-oriented animations. I sincerely hope that you enjoyed this chapter, as I feel it was one of the best yet, but trust me when I say that there's a lot more where that came from!

RED'S TEAM. 3 BADGES:

*Vulcan & Ashgar (Charmanders)

\- BruteRoot (Ivysaur)

\- Talon (Pidgeotto)

\- Beast (Nidoking)

\- Kirin (Pikachu)


	25. Can You Diglett?

**Can You Diglett?**

"Honey that's fantastic; I'm so proud of you!" Deliah's voice and face beamed with a radiant pride for her son's latest accomplishment on the vid screen. "I had no idea you'd be all the way over in Vermilion City. I thought for sure that you'd hit Saffron next after Cerulean."

"Thanks mom. Yeah, about that, that was the initial plan, but apparently all of the roads to Saffron are closed right now; the guards aren't letting anyone through. Has there been anything on the news about it? I haven't exactly had the time to watch TV." Red explained as he chuckled, almost masking the fatigue hanging under his eyes – fatigue very much shared by Kirin who was drifting off atop his shoulder and nearly fell off multiple times during the video call.

"Hmmm…I don't think I've seen anything about it on the news, but I'll keep my eyes and ears open." Deliah shrugged, "How's your progress on the Professor's project coming along, honey?"

Red rubbed his eyes and cracked his neck. "The PokéDex is filling up nicely. If I keep up this pace then I'll have recorded data on all of the Pokémon in Kanto in no time! The only entries that I think will prove to be problematic are those for the Legendary Bird Trio: Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres, the Dragon Type Pokémon, Dratini…and I don't even know where to begin to look for Mew either. I'm sure I'll run into the rest at some point or another as long as I'm being thorough." He rested his chin on his fist in thought.

"Don't worry, honey, I'm sure that you'll succeed. You are after all my Pokémon Master."

"Thanks mom. I should update the professor, and I have a few questions for him as well. I think I'll take Bill up on his offer to go to the S.S. Anne trainer party in his stead this evening; we could use the rest before setting out for the next town."

"OK dear. Where will you head next?"

"Well…Saffron is out of the question at the moment…so I think I'll have to take the long way around to Celadon City. According to my map, I'll have to backtrack to Cerulean City and then head east and take Rock Tunnel to Lavender Town. An old man running a Pokémon Daycare near Cerulean told me about a few hidden underground passages that I could use to skirt around Saffron. Hopefully at some point those roads will free up and I'll be able to challenge the Saffron City Gym; I hear the leader there is one of the toughest around." Red described his plan to his mother, before telling her he loved her and ending the call.

"We'd better give the professor a ring, Kirin. He'll want to know our progress, and I want to ask him a few things about you."

 _Pi?_ Kirin tilted his head inquisitively.

After only a few rings, Professor Oak appeared on the call screen. "Why, hello, Red! How fair you my young friend?"

"I'm doing really well, Professor, thank you." Red then caught Professor Oak up on his PokéDex progress and gave him the abridged version of his battle against Lieutenant Surge the night before. "What I want to know is, with regards to Kirin, how is he learning all of these moves so suddenly? And what move could he have learned to defeat Surge's Raichu? I've never seen anything move so fast before, and that's taking into account how fast the two were moving during their battle."

Professor Oak looked deep in thought as he tried to visualize the attack Red described Kirin using to become victorious in its match, until a light bulb went off in his head. "Ah! Your Pikachu must have somehow learned how to use the move, Extremespeed! Your Pikachu is a rare specimen indeed, Red; not only does it appear to learn powerful attacks at an astonishing rate, and possesses a Hidden Ability, but it knows moves not typical of its species! My best educated guess would have to be that its parents were quite special and has a predisposition for learning moves atypical of those a Pikachu would be known to have."

Kirin grinned as the professor listed off its growing list of accolades, visibly quite pleased with itself and Red gently scratched him behind the ears. "You're really something else, Kirin! Let's keep up the great work!"

"Great work indeed, Red! Your progress on the PokéDex is impressive – very impressive – in fact you've caught nearly as many Pokémon as Blue!" the professor beamed.

"Wait…did you just say 'nearly as many' as Blue?" Red scowled. He didn't like the sound of that at all.

"Err…yes," Professor Oak cleared his throat to cover up his embarrassment, "my grandson has put just a few more entries into his PokéDex than you have. Keep in mind that Blue had a slight head-start on you, Red. There's no need to worry; I'm sure you'll catch up and even surpass him in no time at all."

"Professor Oak?"

"Yes, Red?"

"Why do I get the feeling that you're enjoying pitting me against your own grandson?" Red inquired, his tone now serious.

"Haha. To tell you the truth, I find the two of you to be like opposite sides of the same coin. Blue is a very stubborn young man, and can be quite brash, but due do his spending so much time with me in my lab while growing up, he is very knowledgeable on Pokémon and is one of the most talented trainers I've ever seen where raising and training them is concerned. He's also a very determined lad, and that determination will push him far. You on the other hand, are very level-headed and polite, but could use a bit of brashness to your personality; learn to take some risks – be spontaneous! You're also quite possibly the most gifted trainer in the art of battling that I've ever seen, and believe me when I say that's saying something!"

Red considered the professor's words and scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, I suppose I could do with taking a chance every now and then…Thank you for the praise though, Professor. I should get going. I have a few things that I want to try and get done before the party this evening. I'll keep you posted."

After ending the video call, Red left the Pokémon Center and traveled east out of Vermilion. The path took him to Route 11, where he passed the time battling a dozen trainers, with a mix of Talon, BruteRoot, and Kirin, all of whom performed splendidly in winning their respective battles. A number of times, Red thought about using Beast, but wasn't yet confident in his ability to control the fully-evolved Pokémon. Despite his frustration with raising one of his companions, Red managed to continue his winning streak in the area, as well as adding entries for Drowzee, and Raticate to the PokéDex. On his way back from his short stay on Route 11, Red stopped when his eye caught the entrance to a cave that he hadn't noticed on his first pass through the area.

"Diglett's Cave, huh? I think we have some time for a little bit of exploring, Kirin, what about you?" Red asked his Pikachu, who quickly nodded in reply. "In we go! We may as well try to get caught up with our PokéDex, since apparently we're behind Blue." Red's irritation with being behind his rival in any part of their journey was apparent in his voice as he ducked his head down slightly and entered the cave. Another trainer, a Bug Catcher, passed by him in a huff.

"This tunnel is stupid," the trainer fumed, "There aren't any bug Pokémon in here, just some Diglett!" he exclaimed as he threw his hands into the air while walking and complaining to himself.

"Ummm…something tells me that he kinda should've expected to find Digletts in here, Kirin. At least we should find no shortage of them, and be able to get at least one to fill its PokéDex page."

 _Pika!_

The pair made their way through the dimly lit tunnel. All along the ground they could see the tracks left behind from burrowing Digletts. Red had to watch his step and several times nearly tripped over the piles that littered the tunnel floor. Diglett's Cave was a well-known tunnel system that served as both the primary habitat for the Pokémon of its namesake, and as a shortcut from the outskirts of Vermilion City to just outside of Pewter, which is where Red found himself after hours of cave travel. The mid-afternoon sun was high in the cloudless sky when he stepped outside of the tunnel. The fresh air renewed his energy as he looked around.

"I wasn't able to reach this section of Route 2 on my first trip through here," Red mused aloud, "I wonder if there's anything interesting around here. We shouldn't spend too much time snooping around if we want to make it back to Vermilion in time for the party aboard the S.S. Anne, Kirin, so let's make this a short trip."

Traveling south a short ways on Route 2, Red came upon a small house tucked away near a cluster of tall oak trees. The door to the home was wide open, so he had little reservation in stepping inside, although he did so with care. Inside he saw three other trainers, each grooming or playing with their own Pokémon. One trainer was kneeling down and gently brushing the fur of his Raticate; another sat on a small, dark green, leather couch and holding a Jigglypuff in her lap and tickled it behind its pointed ears. The third trainer was playing a mimicry game with a Pokémon that Red did not recognize. It was humanoid in shape, with skinny arms and legs. Its skin was a pale pinkish hue sans larger, magenta sections on its white torso, and atop its head were either bat wing shaped ears, or very peculiar hair – Red couldn't tell from his present distance. The Pokémon in question somewhat reminded Red of a circus clown in appearance as well as its mannerisms as it mimed its hands through the air as though they were being placed against an invisible wall.

"Ah! I know what that is," Red said over his shoulder to Kirin while approaching the aforementioned Pokémon and its trainer, "that's a Mr. Mime! I think I've only ever seen one on the TV before this. Excuse me, would you mind if I recorded your Mr. Mime's data in my PokéDex?"

"Recorded it's what…where?" the trainer looked perplexed at the question, so Red explained to him the various functions of the electronic encyclopedia as well as his task appointed by Professor Oak.

"Oh! OK," the bespectacled trainer said after Red had finished his explanation, "sure that sounds really cool; I'd love to see that thing in action myself."

"Thanks! I'm not sure where to find one of my own yet, so this will help me out a lot." Red smiled and held up the device to get partial data on the miming, bipedal Pokémon before him. Without capturing a Mr. Mime for himself, the PokéDex was only able to record the image of the Pokémon, and gave no other real information regarding it. "Well that's a little disappointing, but I guess I'll find one sooner or later."

"Hmmm…do you happen to have an Abra, by chance?" the Mr. Mime's trainer asked Red, "I've been looking for one for some time now, and Marcel here is a little too much for me to handle without any badges."

Red removed his hat and scratched the back of his head in thought. "Are you saying…that you would trade your Mr. Mime to me for an Abra?"

The other trainer nodded in response. "Yeah I would love to if you have one."

"Well, shoot," Red looked down at the ground, "I've been trying to find an Abra myself with no luck at all. I do plan on heading back to a spot where I think they can be found. If I manage to catch two of them I'd be more than happy to trade."

"That sounds great! I look forward to seeing you again – hopefully, this time, with an Abra in tow!"

The two shook hands and Red left the trainer house, excited for his future trade. "I've never traded Pokémon before, Kirin; it sounds like fun and a great way to help someone else out who doesn't have the same opportunities to travel the region like we do!"

 _Piii…pika pi…_ Kirin's ears were laid back as if it were distressed.

"What's the matter, pal? Oh! Nononono, don't you worry, Kirin, I would never ever trade any of you guys away" Red reassured his nervous Pikachu, "First of all, you're all indispensable parts of our team, and secondly, I would only ever trade with someone if I could go catch them what they needed specifically for them, and not trade a Pokémon that I purposely caught for myself." He smiled at Kirin, who perked back up once its worries had been put to rest. They traveled south from the trainer house for another 15 minutes and came upon a large building resembling one of the guard gate houses outside of Saffron City, only slightly smaller, and off the main road. Inside were a number of trainers and their Pokémon all resting on benches, couches, and some on the floor. Many also sat on stools while eating and watching the news on a large, wall-mounted, monitor. While glancing around the large room, Red thought he recognized a man in its center. The man wearing a large, white, lab coat, noticed Red right away and jogged over to him. "Red, hi!" he called out while he adjusted the wire frame of his glasses. "Hey! Do you remember me? Perhaps? Maybe? Probably not; you were pretty busy – anyways, I'm one of Professor Oak's aids. He sent several of us out across the region for field research and told us to keep an eye out for you and Blue. The Professor gave each of us a gift for you, should you find us and have been diligently working on your PokéDex! So, I have to ask, have you caught at least 10 unique species of Pokémon?"

Red shook off the surprise of seeing one of Professor Oak's assistants when he heard the quota number. "Ten? Oh yeah I definitely have caught more than ten types of Pokémon by this point!" he smiled proudly at Kirin who matched his trainer's smile with a smug grin of his own while Red handed the aid his PokéDex for progress verification.

"Fantastic! You've recorded complete data on at least 27 species of Pokémon! As reward for your dedicated progress, take this Hidden Machine for the field move Flash; you can use that to light up dark caves such as Rock Tunnel." Professor Oak's aid said happily and handed Red back his PokéDex and the small disc.

"Thank you very much, sir! I'll keep filling up those pages as much as I can. Speaking of Rock Tunnel, I need to head that way soon so I need to be heading back to Vermilion." Red noted as he shook the aid's hand before taking his leave of the building.

Red's return trip through Diglett's Cave was one with a more hurried pace than his first. He wanted to ensure he made it back to Vermilion City in time to attend the S.S. Anne trainer party. _I've been moving at a pretty good clip here. I should really take at least a little bit of time to try and catch myself a Diglett...although now that I think about it, I don't think I've seen a single one yet._ He kept watch on the ground for any signs of a Diglett burrowing near the surface. He could see the signature ploughs still littered across the ground, some of them looking recent.

"SOMEBODY HEELP MEEEEEEEEEE!" a scream came from the direction Red was heading, and a young woman nearly barreled right into him before he sidestepped and caught her at the waist.

"Whoa! Hold on second, what happened, Miss?" Red asked the frightened girl, who couldn't have been more than a few years older than he, who only pointed at the ground in the direction she had come from. Calling out BruteRoot from its capsule, Red braced for whatever was the source of the girl's fear. A plough of dirt rushed toward them and BruteRoot readied its vines to counterattack, but when the short, brown, cylindrical body of a baby Diglett popped itself up through a hole in the dirt, Red just sighed and chuckled. "Miss, that's just a baby Diglett. It doesn't mean you any harm. If anything, it's probably just following you because it likes you. Here, I'll show you." He quickly pulled out a Poké Ball and with a flick of his wrist, sealed the Ground Type inside it. "Take it," Red smiled and handed the newly captured Diglett to the girl while he pulled out his PokéDex and confirmed the data recording.

"Wow…thank you," she said as she adjusted her navy blue pencil skirt, "I'd been sent inside Diglett's Cave to investigate rumors of a disappearing population, but almost as soon as I set foot inside, this little one started chasing me.

"Oh! You must work with the Vermilion City Police Department, then?"

"Yes, I do – well sort of. I'm still a trainee, technically, so I was sent on what was supposed to be a simple recon mission and report back anything I found in relation to the rumors. I tried to battle the Diglett with my own Pokémon, but they oddly refused to do so, which they never have before."

Red stared at the Poké Ball that held the Diglett inside for a moment, and scratched the back of his head in thought. "Maybe…maybe that Diglett was trying to get you to follow it."

"You mean like maybe it knew that I was here to find out what is happening to the Digletts and it wanted to help?"

"It might sound odd, but I can't see much other reason for it to behave the way that it was. Why don't you let it out of there and maybe it will give us some answers." Red suggested to the trainee.

"I-I suppose I've heard of stranger things. OK then. Diglett, come on out!"

 _Diglett!_

No sooner had the Ground Type materialized on the ground than it started burrowing in the direction of the Vermilion City entrance of the cave. Red and the officer in training quickly gave chase as the Pokémon led them around several corners and down a narrow, side-passage that was previously unnoticeable. The trainee took a small flashlight off of her belt and used it to help light the way for them as they continued deeper into the tunnel, and the further in they went the more they began to feel vibrations through the walls and rumblings under their feet. Eventually, the narrow passageway opened up into a wide area where, much to both human's surprise, a large massing of hundreds of Digletts were all huddled together up against the far wall and firing off all of the Mud Slap attacks they could muster. Upon closer observation they noticed water breaching through the wall.

"That has to be it!" Red exclaimed as he rushed forward, calling out BruteRoot. "There must be an underground spring of sorts that's threatening to flood their cave, and that's why they're all here – they're trying to save their home! BruteRoot, I need your help buddy; use Vine Whip to sturdy the boulders that are halting the water's progress – hurry!"

The Ivysaur shot out its vines and wrapped them around the large rocks that stood in between the spring and the Digletts' home. When one of the small, Ground Type Pokémon saw the trainer attempting to help them, it called out to the rest of its friends. The ground began to shake violently as more large boulders were shaken up to strengthen the blockade. When the water continued to slip through the cracks, the same Diglett at the front of the wall began to glow and then tripled in size and body count.

"That Diglett just evolved into a Dugtrio!" the officer called out, "It must be trying to use all of its power to save its friends!"

Dugtrio shook the ground with all of the magnitude that it could call forth, summoning up rocks from beneath the ground as well as crashing down from the ceiling, but the water's force kept prevailing over the digging Pokémon's efforts.

"This isn't working. BruteRoot, do you have a Solarbeam ready?" Red called out to his Ivysaur, who nodded in response, "Great!" he then grabbed the Gemini Ball and tossed it forward, "Vulcan…Ashgar…I know that this looks dangerous for you two, but I wouldn't ask for your help unless I was absolutely sure there was no other way. I need you two to let loose the hottest flame that you have when BruteRoot fires off his Solarbeam, got it?"

 _""_ _CHAARR!""_

"Ready…? On my go…" as Red spoke the spring broke through the wall of rock and stone, and the Digletts rushed to move out of the way of the gushing water while the Dugtrio started to dig a canal to divert as much of the water as it could "NOW, FIRE!" he cried out as his eyes flashed bright blue and his Charmanders' eyes did the same.

The two Charmanders' tails blazed white hot and from their mouths they unleashed bursts of flame so intense that, when combined with the solar energy from BruteRoot's Solarbeam attack, they reduced the oncoming spring to steam long enough for the Dugtrio to reroute it back underground and away from its brethren's habitat. The Digletts all cried out in relief and the twins each high-fived one of BruteRoot's vines in celebratory fashion.

"T-That was…incredible…" the young officer gasped as she slumped to her knees, "I've never seen anyone use a Pokémon's abilities in such a way. How did you know that would work…?"

Red laughed and looked down at his heroic team with a proud smile as Kirin dropped down to hug his three teammates. "Well, I didn't know that it would work, but I believed that it would," he offered while kneeling down to pat each one of his team members on the head, "and sometimes having faith in them is better than knowing."

The officer looked dumbfounded, and shocked at Red's reply. "That's an incredibly profound answer for someone so young."

Red blushed and smiled, taking off his cap and scratching his head, "Yeah? I never really thought of it that way to be honest; it's just how we live."

"Well regardless, I'm very grateful for your help, young man, and to each of you," she stood and went over to each of Red's team and scratched them gently, "you all made wonderfully noble heroes today."

As Red and the officer finally exited the cave under the setting sun, they shook hands before parting ways. "Thank you again for your help today, Red, and good luck and safe travels on the rest of your journey."

"Thank you, miss, and you as well." Red's attention was then caught by the Dugtrio who finally resurfaced after rerouting the underground spring. "Hey, you, you did a great job protecting your family and friends down there; I'm glad that we could help a Pokémon as brave as yourself."

 _Trio!_ The triplet Ground Type, digging Pokémon burrowed around Red in a quick circle.

"What? Do you want to come with us, Dugtrio?" he asked, grabbing a Poké Ball from his pack, "You got it!" Red held out the ball, clicked the release button and in seconds his new Dugtrio was nestled inside the capsule.

"Well how about that, Kirin?" Red said, looking up at his shoulder-perched partner, "We saved someone's friends and made new ones of our own."

 _PIKA!_

"Now let's hurry back to the Pokémon Center and get all cleaned up for that party; I think it's safe to say we've earned it."

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

This entry is easily the nearest in theme and content to your typical episode of the anime, and that was intentional. You may notice that not all of Red's PokeDex additions involve a detailed battle or series of events and that is two-fold in its purpose: firstly, there are simply too many Pokemon, even in the Kanto Region, to write out a detailed acquisition for reach and every one. Secondly, by only detailing Red's most important captures, it elevates their importance further, like using a brightly colored highlighter of sorts. So fear not, any Pokemon that becomes an important member of Red's team will have the proper literary real estate dedicated to them!

I hope that you enjoyed the TV series-esque theme that this chapter possessed, as well as the nods to the original games such as the Mr. Mime nicknamed "Marcel" in the Route 2 Trainer House. Keep those thoughts and questions coming!


	26. Leviathan! Luxury Liner Life-Saver

**Leviathan! Luxury Liner Life-Saver**

The blaring sound of the S.S. Anne's horn signaled passengers that their last opportunity to board the cruise ship was at hand. The horn's deep tones reverberated through the crisp air as the evening fog began to set in, blanketing the harbor city. The clatter of black leather dress shoes echoed along the pier as Red ran at a full sprint to the luxury liner's dock. Deliah had sent a package addressed to her son to the Pokémon Center in Vermillion City. Inside, the young man had found a dark crimson suit with a soft sheen to it and black dress shirt. Red was grateful, but not quite surprised, at his mother's thoughtfulness. He had grown accustomed to his mother's generosity and propensity for habitual doting upon her adopted son.

Red wished that his mom could have been there at the party with him, not just because she had been a talented trainer herself, but because of all the work she had put into his training throughout the years. He would have even loved to have given her a dance, but unfortunately that was a happy moment that would have to wait. Perhaps once he'd conquered the Pokémon League and stood above all other trainers in Kanto, he would be able to give that to her, but for now he could only continue moving forward towards his goal.

 _Thanks mom. I love you._ Red thought as he ran up the ramp that led up to the cruise ship's entrance. He flashed the S.S. Anne Ticket in his hand as he ran and the sailor standing at the top of the ramp waved him through. Once he was on the ship, Red was finally able to stop running and catch his breath for a moment. Kirin leaned against his leg, also panting in attempt to catch his breath from the sprint from the Pokémon Center to the luxury ocean liner.

"C'mon Kirin, we're finally here. I think it's time we found a way to enjoy ourselves and get some r & r." Red said as he finally caught his breath and stepped inside the entrance to the ship.

 _Pi-ka…_ Kirin panted and tiredly climbed to its trainer's shoulder, resuming its customary perch.

He stepped through the threshold and entered a long, lacquered wooden floor hallway. Circular windows lined individual cabin doors along his left and right in front of him. A young woman dressed in stewardess attire approached him with a soft smile as she carried a silver tray in her left raised hand. The platter held several flutes of a light, bubbly fluid – champagne to Red's guess – and she gestured to the young, sharply dressed trainer to follow her down the hall.

The young woman stopped at a door a short ways down the hall and bowed slightly. "This is your room, young sir. We hope you enjoy your stay with us on the Saint Anne."

"How can you be so certain that this is my room?" Red asked with obvious curiosity in his voice.

"Quite simply, sir, you are the last to arrive. With this being the only room that has yet to be taken, it is safe to be presumptuous in saying that it belongs to you. With that being said, this room is one of our finer suites, and we hope you find your quarters accommodating." With that, she politely bowed before swiftly turning on her heels and made her way back down the hall, her black dress heels softly echoing along as she went.

Red walked into his quarters on the ship and his eyes opened wide as he looked around the luxurious room. There was golden crown molding along all the walls in the room, and all of the wood on the furniture was also painted gold. On his left was a large painting of a majestic looking Pokémon that possessed reddish-orange fur with black stripes and a fluffy white mane and tail. The Pokémon stood in a captivatingly regal pose overlooking a valley. Red was feeling dizzy from how fancy the room, his room, was; he'd never been in such a place and was beginning to feel out of his element. He plopped onto the king-sized bed at his disposal and stared up at the ceiling.

"What am I even doing here, Kirin…?" he asked his Pokémon, "I don't belong in a place like this. This is the sort of place where a princess or a king would stay, not someone like me…"

 _Pi! Pika pika-pi!_ His electric partner jumped up and down on his stomach.

"You're right buddy. When I win the Indigo League, I'll belong here just as much as anyone else. Let's find out where the party is at!"

Red left his luxurious room and wandered through the ship's halls as he searched for the trainer party he'd received an invitation to from Bill. He cautiously peered into a number of rooms in his search, multiple times coming upon other trainers who themselves were preparing for the big to-do. Those trainers didn't seem too keen on being interrupted, but they didn't waste any time in challenging Red to a battle right inside of their rooms either.

After over a dozen wrong doors, followed quickly by battles against the cabin guests, Red and Kirin at last stepped through the large double doors that led to a grand ballroom. Suddenly the regality that he thought his room possessed was reduced to the same level of fanciness of a public restroom. He'd never seen a room so large in his life, and felt himself mentally picking his jaw up off of the floor. There were hundreds of trainers, some seated at one of the many round tables arranged throughout the ballroom, others standing and socializing amongst one another. Everyone was dressed in formal attire – the males in suits of various colors and styles, and the females in dresses that ranged from short, cocktail party to long, graceful gowns. The angelic strings of a violin quartet elegantly played in the background, and the epicurean atmosphere filled Red with an unusual sensation reminiscent of an alcohol-induced buzz.

"Pardon me, young sir," a voice interrupted the trainer's daze, "would you care for a drink?"

"Oh, uh no thank you, I'm…fine," Red's attention was suddenly drawn to a flash of sparkling sapphire blue in the form of a lengthy gown, "…and underage." Red politely declined the waiter's offer and returned his attention to the brilliant shades of blue before him. From the sweetheart corset down to just above the waist, the dress sparkled as though it were fashioned with diamonds that tapered off down its center from there. The mermaid body of the gown bore the sapphire hue that had caused Red's eyes to fixate so, and hugged the wearer's figure almost too perfectly all the way down to below her hips before falling like a feather into a soft flowing fabric that gently trailed behind and around her feet. The hue of her hair was like someone had soaked it in a rich emerald bay for days, and the softly curled ponytail kissed the small of her back near where the dress began.

 _Wait…I know that hair!_ Red exclaimed inside of his own mind, not realizing that he had been slowly approaching the entrancing figure his eyes had been magnetically drawn to – his legs now following likewise.

 _Pi-ka?_ Kirin quizzically tilted his head as he watched his trainer be pulled away by some unseen force before trailing after Red.

"Clair…?" Red cautiously said as he came within a few feet of the girl, who proceeded to turn around and simultaneously reaffirming his suspicion and leaving him wordlessly stricken in place.

"Oh! Hey, I remember you! Red, wasn't it?" Clair said while brushing her curled bangs out of her eyes and waiting a few moments for him to respond. "Right…?"

"Yes! Clair! I mean, Red. Yes, I'm Red. We met-"

"In Pewter City, yeah. I helped get your limp, poisoned body off their Pokémon Center's floor, if I'm not mistaken." She chided while cocking one eyebrow.

Red's cheeks took on their owner's name as he scratched the back of his head. "Right…That was the night of that sudden storm in the area."

"Mhmm, sounds about right. Hey how are you coming along with that Pikachu you rescued?"

"Oh, Kirin? We're doing great actually, right pal?" Red noted, followed quickly by Kirin hopping up to his perch on his shoulder. "Matter of fact, he just single-handedly took down the gym here in Vermilion!"

 _Pika pika!_ Kirin happily exclaimed while attempting to adjust the mini bowtie Deliah had sent for him to wear to the party.

"That's impressive that you two have bonded so well, and so quickly. It sounds like you're going to give every trainer in Kanto a run for their money." Clair smiled and leaned forward, brushing back her bangs again and helping Kirin with its bowtie, resulting in a soft blush from both trainer and Pokemon.

"I-I didn't know that there would be trainers from Johto here too. I wonder what kinds of unique Pokémon they brought with them?" Red wondered aloud excitedly.

"Don't get too excited," Clair chuckled, "I don't think there are many trainers here from other regions. In fact, as far as I know, it's just myself and my cousin here from Johto. He battles here in Kanto now but we were both born in Blackthorn."

"Oh? Where is he? I'd love to meet him."

"He's…somewhere. Honestly he's not a huge fan of large social gatherings, but our grandfather asked him to accompany me here for my safety." Clair's voice took on a tone of annoyance as she continued, "It's not like I'm ungrateful, but I don't need protection anymore either; with him gone most of the year I'm the strongest trainer in Blackthorn City, but whatever. He's not exactly looking over my shoulder constantly or anything so I guess it doesn't matter. He's probably in our cabin, reading a book or something."

The two trainers chatted for some time, with Red catching Clair up on the events that had transpired since last they met, mostly his battles against Brock, Misty, and Lt. Surge, while Clair entranced Red with legends and locales of the Johto Region. To say nothing of the entrancing effect Clair herself had on Red would be an injustice indeed, for Red felt spellbound, by her figure, yes, but perhaps more by her knowledge and passion for Pokémon, and the strange but unmistakable aura of strength she exhibited just by standing in a room; it was the same as when he had first met her in Pewter – almost intimidating.

The commotion of a crowd of trainers cheering broke the concentration of the pair's conversation and they both turned their heads to see what the ruckus was about. They quickly walked over to the center of the ballroom, and Clair grabbed Red's hand, pulling him along behind her as she hurriedly pushed their way through the crowd of people chanting and cheering. When at last they had broken through the sea of onlookers, they saw two trainers battling, one with a Raticate and the other with a Butterfree.

"Raticate, finish it off with Hyper Fang attack!" the respective trainer's voice called out.

 _Wait a minute…I'd know that voice anywhere!_

The Raticate's tan fur bristled and its large, front fangs took on a bright white glow as it sprung at the fluttering Bug Type opponent so fast that Red almost missed the moment the attack connected. The Butterfree was quickly felled and subsequently called back into its Poké Ball by its trainer who threw up his hands in defeat. "You're too good; I give up!"

 _Ugh…of all people to have to run into right now!_

An announcer's voice standing at a podium beside the 20 x 20 battle stage boomed through the microphone held in his hand. "Aaaaannnnnnd our winner is Blue! Ladies and gentlemen, what a battle that was! Who will attempt to end this young protégé's winning streak? Can anyone here do it?!"

Red growled inside, or at least he thought he had because Clair quickly shot him an inquisitive look. That's when exactly what Red didn't want to have happen, happened.

"Bonjour, Red!" Blue's voice called out from the other side of the stage and Red felt his gut wrench. "Imagine seeing you here! Red, were you really invited?" his voice never losing its arrogant and condescending flare, "I'd heard that there was a Cut Master on board and had to meet him; it was the ship's captain of all people – how about that? So, are you gonna take a crack at it right here, right now?"

"Do you two know each other?" Clair asked, looking pensively at Red.

"As unfortunate as the circumstances are, yes, we do." Red replied without going into detail, and returned his attention to his rival. "You're on, Blue! We'll knock you right off that stage!" he shot back and jumped onto the raised platform that was serving as the arena, throwing off his scarlet tie in the same movement.

Blue snorted. "I sure hope you've been training your Pokémon since the last time I creamed you!"

"You're about to find that out the hard way!" Red warned his rival, shooting a fiery glare and determined, pointing finger at him, "You're up first, Kirin!"

 _Pika!_

"Raticate, you've been on a role, thrash that mouse!"

Kirin's fur bristled in anticipation and the whole crowd felt the hair on the back of their necks stand on end from the electrical current emanating from the yellow mouse Pokémon. Blue scowled. He was by no means a slouch, and had already proven to be a superior trainer when it came to raising and training Pokémon. The visible change in demeanor upon his face made clear his noting Kirin's rise in power since last he saw the Pikachu. His irritation was almost palpable, causing the audience to quiet and even the announcer to pause before raising his microphone to his lips with a flourish. "Leeeeeet's get ready for the battle…our hot-streak trainer, Blue from Pallet Town, versus trainer Red, also from little Pallet!" The crowd began to cheer again, split down the middle for Red and Blue as the announcer held his breath. "GO!"

"Raticate, start off with a Quick Attack!"

"Kirin, you're faster than him; show it with a Quick Attack of your own!"

Both Pokémon sprang off of their feet, darting toward each other as their bodies were enveloped in white light. The resulting impact of the two mirrored moves resembled that of a loud clap, causing the crowd to quickly cover their ears. Their meeting sent both Pokémon bouncing backwards to their respective trainers and they stood at the ready for their next commands.

"Kirin, we'll need to slow that thing down; you may be faster than it, but I want to control the pacing of the match this time. You know what I'm referring to, right pal?"

 _Pika!_

"Perfect! Let's do it!" Red's determination was overflowing this time. He wasn't about to lose to his rival twice in a row – not a chance.

"Raticate, use Quick Attack again and pivot to Hyper Fang when you're close!" Blue barked to his Pokémon. Quickly following suit the light brown rodent shot forward again in the same manner as before.

"Steady, Kirin, steady…Wait for him to get close before you strike."

Red issued his command just as the Raticate was shifting from its Quick Attack to Hyper Fang, noting the moment when the white glow receded from the Pokémon's full body to focusing around its front fangs.

"Now, Kirin sweep its feet with Tail Whip!"

Kirin crouched low to the ground, as much lower as the small mouse could get that is, and quickly spun like a street sweeper's brushes, his lightning bolt tail catching the Raticate's feet and pulling them out from underneath him and causing him to land on his back.

"Raticate, you need to move; use Quick Attack again to create distance between you two!" Blue yelled from his side of the stage.

"Quickly use Thunder Wave to stop him from moving, Kirin!" Red commanded, not wanting to give his opponent any leverage this time.

 _If I can keep the match moving at a pace of my choosing, then we can control the match itself._ Red thought, recalling the last encounter he had with Blue. _The last time, Blue managed to maintain total control of the match, in fact looking back on it, I don't think I ever was truly in control at any given point. Not this time though…_

Kirin glowed a light yellow and his body sparked before firing multiple waves of electric energy at his opponent. The waves surrounded the Raticate's body and quickly halted its movements. The Pokémon struggled with all of its might to shake off the paralytic effects afflicting its body, but to no avail.

"Now that he's stunned, finish it off with Thundershock, Kirin!" Red ordered from the sidelines, and his Pikachu sparked again as it readied the electrical strike.

"C'mon, Raticate, you're better than this!" Blue shouted in an attempt to reinvigorate his paralyzed Pokémon.

Raticate worriedly looked back at its trainer, unsure of how to respond when it was clearly unable to move from the prior attack.

Red saw the situation unfolding badly and felt a swell of sympathy for the Normal Type Pokémon, "Blue, your Pokémon obviously can't continue. Just call him back and get him healed. I'll even call back Kirin and we'll call their exchange a wash." At this, Raticate looked at Red with a sigh of relief and gratitude.

Blue clenched his fist and barked back in irritation, "Screw you! My Pokémon are all winners and Raticate will prove that by showing why he's been winning all evening!"

Red shook his head at this response, offering, "Blue, that's just it: your Raticate had already been battling most of the evening since before we even got here; it needs rest!"

The tempers of the two trainers were reaching a fever pitch and the crowd looking on was silent as they waited to see what the spiky-haired young trainer would do. Blue wavered for a moment before letting out an exasperated sigh. His hand reached for a Poké Ball to recall his fatigued Pokémon.

"Raticate, re-" Just as he was ordering his Pokémon to return to the safety of its capsule, Raticate pushed through the paralyzing electrical current that bound its body and leaped at Kirin with a Hyper Fang. The act of defiance earned a thunderous gasp from the crowd and caught Red and Kirin off-guard. With no time to react, the attack connected and sent the Pikachu reeling back.

"Kirin, we need to end this before that Raticate hurts itself trying to impress its bull-headed trainer; that Thunder Wave should have slowed it down considerably, so hit it with Electro Ball and hurry!"

Kirin nodded and sparked all over, concentrating the electrical energy into his tail. He sprung into the air and somersaulted forward, forcing the current into the tail tip and generating a sphere of golden energy. Kirin whipped around, snapping his tail forward and firing the sparking Electro Ball attack at the heaving Raticate. The energy collided with its intended target, instantly knocking it out with a short cry.

Blue cursed as he held up Raticate's Poké Ball and recalled it. He looked at the capsule, and, for a moment at least, Red thought he caught a more somber look on his rival's face than his attitude usually spoke to. The spiky-haired young man shook his head and returned the ball to his belt, retrieving another one as he did so and sent out his Pidgeotto. The raptor Pokémon squawked in agitation for its fallen comrade and gave the Pikachu standing before it a predatory glare.

"Kirin, you've done enough for now. I'll need you later, switch out." Red said to his yellow partner, who hopped up to its trainer's shoulder, while grabbing a Poké Ball from his belt. "Alright, Talon, you're up!" Red's Pidgeotto soared out of its capsule with a trill; its wings and crest looking more powerful than ever, a mark of how many battles it had valiantly fought for its trainer. After circling the stage, and subsequently the opposing avian, it came to a rest on Red's right, outstretched arm.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it looks like we're going to witness this match soar to new heights!" the announcer boomed, once again flourishing his microphone.

""GO!"" the two rival trainers shouted at once.

Both Pidgeotto ripped through the space above the stage and collided in its center, their talons locking together as each bird attempted to gain an aerial advantage over the other.

"Use Gust, Pidgeotto!" Blue ordered from his side of the field. In response, his Pokémon began to rotate its body while in mid-flight, and whipped around the still-attached Talon in an effort to throw him off.

Red thought quickly on his feet, calling out to his partner, "Talon, use Gust to reverse the direction of the gale and cancel out his attack!"

With a loud trill, Talon beat its wings heavily while still being spun around by the opposing Pidgeotto, causing the small twister that the two raptors were held within to slow down to a stop before reversing its direction and smacking Blue's Pokémon out of the air.

"Hmph! Impressive, Red," Blue snarled, "You're raising your Pidgeotto well. It's the first bird to stop an attack from mine. Not even the Fearow belonging to the Vermilion City Pokémon Club President was able to do that. But don't get cocky; this is far from over!"

"You're the one flapping your lips as much as your Pokémon's wings, Blue, bring it on!" Red fired back at his rival, his determination to win this time not faltering in the slightest.

"I'll make you eat those words! Pidgeotto, it's time to turn things up a notch; use Twister!"

 _Twister?!_ Red frantically exclaimed in his head as Blue's Pidgeotto created a mini tornado that covered nearly the full area of the ring, catching Talon within and flinging him through the air with such incredible force that Red could see some of his Pokémon's feathers shorn away from its efforts to resist the powerful attack.

"Talon!" Red deftly leaped into the air to catch his Pokémon from being thrown over his head, landing gracefully on his feet with the raptor cradled in his arms. "Are you alright, Talon?" he worriedly asked, concern for the bird written all over his face. "Do you want to switch out?"

Talon cooed softly and gently nuzzled his head into its trainer's chest before returning to the air, accompanied by cheers from the crowd, an expression of shock from the opposing Pidgeotto, and a scowl from Blue. Despite the determined look on Talon's face, Red could tell that the last strike it had taken was no joke and had done much more damage than his valiant flier was making known to everyone else.

 _Twister was an unexpected move_ , Red mused, _Blue really is something else when it comes to raising his Pokémon. If I'm not mistaken, that's a Dragon Type attack; how the heck did he teach that to his Pidgeotto? No time to worry about that right now. All I need to know is that another strike like that will finish Talon off for good in this match, but we've got something up our own sleeves too!_

"Talon, let's put all of that training to the test; show them how strong your wings have become!"

"Finish that bird off, Pidgeotto – use Twister again!"

With a loud trill that resounded through the entire ballroom, Talon spread its wings and they began to take on a metallic sheen to them. Blue's Pidgeotto generated another Twister, this one even larger than the first, causing both battling trainers and the crowd to have to step back to avoid getting hit by its gales.

"Use Quick Attack to gain momentum and fly straight into that Twister, Talon!" Red instructed, with his Pokémon quickly responding by circling out from the arena and back towards the gale attack at full speed.

"Now, Talon, use Steel Wing!" Red yelled, and the raptor's wings altered to appear as though they were made of tempered steel as Talon cut into the Twister attack. The crowd and announcer gasped as they witnessed Talon fight against the strong gale of its opponent's attack, and, for a moment at least, no one was sure if the strategy would work, as it struggled to move forward at first.

"C'mon, buddy, you can do it; I believe in you!" Red cried over the sound of the Twister that was beginning to blow around the large chandeliers in the room.

Seeing the strong bond between trainer and Pokémon, Clair yelled over the noise as well, "Your trainer believes in you, Talon, and so do I! I've never seen such a display of heart!"

In response to the encouragement from its trainer, Red, Clair, and its electric teammate hopping up and down, Talon's entire body took on the silvery shine of steel and, with the newly acquired wind resistance, cut through the growing Twister and struck the other raptor dead-on. The force of the Steel Wing smacked the Pidgeotto right into its trainer and immediately the Twister ceased, leaving everyone in the room breathless.

"Pidgeotto, return." Blue said, with an ever-increasing grouchiness to his voice from having two of his Pokémon knocked out in a row.

"Talon, you did great; rest up!" Red praised his Pokémon as it returned to its Poké Ball.

The two young rivals stared each other down; each one wondering which Pokémon the other would send out next.

 _Blue, at the very least, still has his Charmander and Abra, but with how proficient he's shown himself to be at raising his Pokémon, I have to assume that they're much stronger than they were the last time I saw them…maybe even evolved._ Red tried to prepare and strategize in his head. _And I can't rely on Beast…I still need to get stronger before I have a chance of him listening to me. Alright, BruteRoot it is!_

Blue lightly tossed a Poké Ball up and down in his hand. "You ready?"

"Yeah, I'm ready, Blue." Red grabbed his chosen capsule, drawing back his arm and brushing his hair out of his eyes.

"You're gonna regret stepping up to my stage, Red! Go, Charmeleon!"

 _Crap…it did evolve!_

"Alright, BruteRoot get ready for a rematch!" Red lobbed his Ivysaur's ball forward, releasing a determined BruteRoot. "Looks like our old pal managed to evolve as well, so we'll have to be extra careful this time, buddy." The Ivysaur looked back at its trainer with a confident nod.

"C'mon, Red, I don't have all night!" Blue barked, his lack of patience ever visible, "Charmeleon, use Slash!"

 _Alright, here we go._ Red took a breath as he watched the evolved Fire Type lunge at his Pokémon.

"Counter with Take Down!" At the command, BruteRoot shot forward a few feet very rapidly for its species, and slammed into the opposing Charmeleon head-on, shocking everyone in the room. The Charmeleon and its trainer bore particular expressions of shock on their faces.

"I didn't think you'd have the guts to attack us directly, Red, I'll give you that." Blue said, almost sounding impressed. "But don't think for one second that will happen twice! Charmeleon, Ember!" The Fire Type shook off the shock of being abruptly slammed into and whipped its tail several times – each swipe sending a fireball at its opponent.

As if the number of flames wasn't enough of a problem, the size of Blue's Fire Starter's attacks had increased several-fold. Despite the odds stacked against them, Red and his Ivysaur stood firm. Their scarlet and ruby red eyes gleaming in the light of the ballroom held everyone watching entranced.

As she watched the battle unfolding from the sidelines, Clair of Blackthorn City held her breath and felt time slow in anticipation of Red's next move. How would he counter a multi-hit attack with a Pokémon that lacked the speed or agility to do so. _Red's Ivysaur caught that Charmeleon off-guard once already, but I don't see that likely happening a second time in a row. What techniques does Ivysaur have that could put it in position to win against its weakness?_

"OK, BruteRoot, just like we practiced!"

The Ivysaur angled its body forward, standing on its front legs while using its vines to support itself. Its back-mounted flower bulb bulged in size before exploding out a rain of sparkling golden dust towards the oncoming Ember fireballs. Almost instantly, nearly all of the flames were suffocated and snuffed out by the thick cloud of dust, leaving only a lone fireball that BruteRoot snapped his vines with a loud whip-like crack that extinguished the final Ember. The audience all gasped at the creative display, and even Clair, who had already grown impressed by the young man's battling prowess, took a step back in awe.

"What the hell was that?" Blue cried out from across the stage, his irritation at his foiled attack almost palpable.

Red patted his Ivysaur on the head, "That was a little something that BruteRoot and I came up with specifically for this sort of situation," Red offered, "A single, linear fire attack is easily dodged with the right timing, but BruteRoot isn't nearly nimble enough to avoid several of them at once. He could dodge one, but would likely get hit by the next which would slow him down further and result in him getting hit by each following attack. In order to circumvent the speed differential, we needed a way to reduce the number of attacks down to one or fewer. After some training and experimenting, we discovered that a thick enough cloud of Stun Spore could suffocate most, if not all, of the flames."

Blue scowled at Red before issuing his next command. "Charmeleon, hit it with Metal Claw!"

"BruteRoot, hurry and catch it with Vine Whip!"

The Fire Type lunged forward again as it reared back its claws that extended and took on a metallic sheen. BruteRoot's vines shot out to meet its opponent and wrapped themselves around its arms, stopping the Charmeleon's forward progress.

"Charmeleon, you need to get out of that hold, use Metal Claw on the vines!" Blue barked from his side of the field. His Pokémon's claws swiped hard at the vines that held him aloft in the center of the stage and cut through them with minimal effort. The vines retracted under their owner's bulb and the Ivysaur winced from the attack.

"Quick buddy, use Synthesis to heal up!" BruteRoot began to absorb light all around him and his vines returned fully grown. "Great! Now use Sleep Powder and Take Down!"

The flower on its back opened up and spewed forth a white glittering dust that covered its Fire Type opponent. Instantly and just in time, the Charmeleon became drowsy and wavered in its attempt to close the distance on its rival. Just as it was falling forward into a deep sleep, it was met by a charging BruteRoot's Take Down that smacked it back to its trainer's feet and left it exhausted of energy to continue the battle.

"Great job, BruteRoot!" Red shouted and ran over to his smiling starter to give him a warm hug. "Our training paid off! Time to rest up now, buddy." He gently tapped his tired Ivysaur's Poké Ball to the Pokémon's head to let it get some well-deserved rest.

Blue was steaming. What he'd thought would be a swift victory had quickly turned into a more swift beating. He clenched his Poké Ball in frustration before throwing it forward aggressively, revealing the first evolved form of Abra, Kadabra. The Pokémon had doubled in height, its tail was thrice the thickness, grown a pair of whiskers, and now held a silver spoon in its right hand.

 _That thing gave my team never-ending problems when we battled against Blue's team in Cerulean, and now it's evolved. I can only imagine how exponentially its power has gone up. Talon and BruteRoot each just fought fast and high-pressure battles – so they definitely need to rest. Beast is obviously still out of the question…but Kirin has at least had a little time to rest..._ Red looked up at his Pikachu, who was still a little tired, sitting on his shoulder. _Wait a second, that's not all of my Pokémon! That settles it then._

Red quickly reached for a Poké Ball along his belt and lobbed it forward. "Let's do this!" The resulting flash of light revealed the Clefable that he had helped in Mt. Moon and chosen to tag along with him. She turned around to face Red, "I need your help here, Clefable, please fight with me." The Fairy Type Pokémon smiled and danced in a quick circle before turning back around to face the Kadabra that stood across from her.

"I'm impressed that you managed to catch such a rare Pokémon in Mt. Moon, Red," Blue offered, his cool confidence returning to his voice, "but rare and cute don't equate to power; we'll see if your little pink fairy can keep up with Kadabra!"

"Kadabra is much faster than you, Clefable, so we'll need to maintain a slower pace in this battle to succeed!" As Red advised his pink companion he was trying to think of which moves it might have access to. _I know that it used Metronome during the Mt. Moon incident, but what else would she have? Sing, Pound, and Double-Slap are all safe bets, but I need something that can hit harder than those…Regardless, I need to somehow stave off Kadabra's high-powered offense._

Blue, unsurprisingly tired of waiting, made the first move. "Kadabra, take advantage of your speed and power, and use Confusion!" The Psychic Type made a quick swipe through the air with its silver spoon before dashing forward. When it was within range of Clefable, its eyes flashed white and violet waves of psychic energy emitted from its forehead, striking Clefable hard.

Clefable shook her head as she strained to resist the confusing properties of the psychic attack. _Please don't be confused, please don't be confused!_ Red thought frantically, recalling in cringing fashion the damage that the confusion status effect had had on his team in prior battles. Much to his surprise, the Fairy Pokémon quickly slapped her short hands against her own face and successfully avoided becoming confused. _Nice work!_ "OK Clefable, that was great! But we can't take another hit like that!"

"Too bad for you!" Blue scoffed and sent Kadabra in for a repeat attack.

Red's mind was racing to think of a way to survive the hit, Clefable being too slow at this range to avoid the attack. "Clefable, try using Cosmic Power to boost your defense against special strikes, and survive the attack!" The Fairy was instantly surrounded by a twinkling, star-like energy as she spun in place just as the telepathic waves struck. Although the attack connected dead-on, its effectiveness was greatly reduced as Clefable stood smiling and showing no signs of distress.

Blue growled in irritation at the sudden drop in his offense's effectiveness and the gathered crowd gasped and cheered, fully entranced in the unfolding match.

"Quickly, Clefable, use Cosmic Power again before they can regroup!"

"Oh no you don't…Kadabra, use Disable now!"

White light flashed from Blue's Kadabra and Clefables move was halted before completion. "That was some quick thinking, Red, boosting your Pokémon's defenses like that, but you're far from the only one who can think on their feet! Now, Kadabra, use Confusion again!"

Red cursed. This was not how he had envisioned the last moments of this battle playing out. He had played a perfect defensive game for what he had available to him where knowledge of his new Pokémon was concerned, but that had not been enough. He hadn't done any damage to Kadabra yet and all of his Pokémon were still in need of rest. He scolded himself for not taking the time to train with Clefable and learn her skill set sooner. "I'm sorry I wasn't prepared for this, Clefable. It's my fault for not dedicating time to you." His Pokémon looked back at him and smiled as she took on a soft rose glow. "What move are you using, Clefable…?" The aura surrounding the Fairy Type Pokémon suddenly transferred to Kirin, who was then lifted off of Red's shoulder and drifted down beside the pink fairy with an understandably perplexed expression on his face. Suddenly the scuffs and wear on Kirin's body and face faded, and its fur bristled with new life as Clefable gently slumped to the floor with a satisfied smile on her face, her energy to battle spent.

"WOW!" The ring announcer exclaimed into his microphone, "Ladies and gentlemen, in a shocking turn of events, Red's Clefable has used Healing Wish to sacrifice herself in order to restore her teammate's energy! What heart! What spirit! What camaraderie! It brings me to tears!"

 _Healing Wish…? Clefable…thank you…_ Red silently thanked his Pokémon for her efforts and returned her to her capsule. Kirin looked back at his trainer, a fiery determination burning in his eyes. _We won't let your sacrifice be in vain._ Red clenched his fists tightly as he vowed to himself to become stronger for his companions. "Kirin!"

 _Pika pi!_

"It's time to show Blue what speed really is! We can't use attacks that might paralyze it, because of its Synchronize ability, but we can still attack it head-on! Quick Attack now!" Kirin dashed forward, the immediate strike throwing Kadabra off balance and off of its feet as the strike connected with its mid-section.

"Kadabra, use Disable on that thing, hurry!"

"Too slow, Blue! Kirin, use it again!" Red's Pikachu started running circles around its opponent, causing the telepath to stumble in dizziness before getting knocked clean off of its feet once again from the Quick Attack.

"Start using Teleport to evade the attacks, Kadabra!" Blue steamed from his corner of the stage. When Kirin's next Quick Attack was about to connect, the Psychic Type disappeared into thin air and reappeared several feet away. "Disable, now!"

The second that Kirin needed to recover from its previous strike was a split second too long as the disabling technique hit and locked his Quick Attack from further use.

 _Blue thinks he has the upper hand here, but now we have him right where we need him to be._

"I have to hand it to you, Red, you gave us a good battle, but once your Pikachu is knocked out, its tired teammates will be a breeze. It's over. Kadabra, Confusion!"

"That's what you think, Blue…Kirin, now!"

As Kadabra dashed forward for its finishing psychic assault, Kirin was enveloped in a white light and then vanished. The entire room held its breath and everyone looked around for any sign of the little electric mouse. There was a loud crack, like a jet breaking the sound barrier, followed by repeated thunderous strikes all around Kadabra. Dismayed, Blue strained his eyes in an attempt to see what was happening to his Pokémon. Red leaped into the air with his fist raised high, "Kirin, finish it!" There was one final boom like a clap of thunder that rent the air over the stage and sent the Psychic Pokémon crashing to the floor in front of its trainer as Kirin reappeared on all fours and skidded to a smoking halt at Red's feet, the air around him warped and crackling with electricity.

"And there goes the battle!" the announcer's voice boomed. The room erupted into cheers at the display they had witnessed. A mob of people swarmed the stage to congratulate Red in his victory, and he suddenly felt very claustrophobic in his present situation. He felt a strong grip take his hand and pull him through the crowd, as Kirin leaped to his shoulder, blinded by the sea of people. When he was finally pulled from the never-ending crowd, he saw Clair standing before him laughing and shaking her head.

"You're a phenomenal battler, Red, but you don't do well with crowds do you?"

Red felt a little embarrassed at the comment, "Well, I guess I'm just not used to being surrounded by so many people at once…" he began to explain.

"Save it," Clair interrupted, "that was quite the show you put on, Red. I truly am impressed."

"An impressive display indeed!" A voice said from behind the pair. Red turned to be greeted by an elderly man with a grand white beard and decorated sailor's attire. "I'm the captain of this beautiful luxury liner, and I must thank you for entertaining my guests as you have, young man! Please accept this Hidden Machine as symbol of my personal gratitude for your efforts. This HM will allow you to use the field move Cut wherever you may need it, so long as you have the proper badge."

Red accepted the HM gratefully and bowed in thanks. "Thank you very much sir."

"Incidentally, boy…" the captain was cut off by a loud sound, like an explosion that rocked the entire ship. The Captain, Clair, and Red's heads all reeled upwards and the loud room quickly fell silent. Everyone looked around wearily as the rumblings reverberated throughout the liner. Whispers amongst the S.S. Anne guests created a low hum in the ballroom.

Clair's demeanor changed like the flip of a coin, and her visage became stern and dark. Red took note of the sudden change and similarly lost the tone he'd had up until that point. Out of the corner of his eye, Red noticed Clair's hand slowly reach for a Poké Ball magnetically clipped near the small of her back, and he followed suit as his right hand hovered over the Gemini Ball and he glanced around for Blue, but his rival had vanished after his defeat.

Another explosion at the doors to the ballroom sent the luxury liner's guests into a state of panic as the doors blew inward, followed by smoke and dust. Red could see shadowy figures slipping into the grand room, and the feeling in his gut attuned him to what was happening long before he was able to see the bold, red, 'R's on the otherwise all black uniforms of the party crashers.

 _Of all places…_ Red thought, irritated that the criminal syndicate had decided to bring their lawlessness to the party.

One of the Rocket Grunts removed the gas mask that covered his face and looked around the room with a snarl. "Ladies and gentleman, we of Team Rocket have chosen to grace you with our presence. As thanks, you may hand over all of your Pokémon!"

That was when Red's eyes began to burn with the disdain that they'd been accustomed to associate with the evil gang. Dozens of Rockets had poured into the ballroom through the ornate double doors. Each one covered in the standard Team Rocket attire, and a gas mask which protected them from the noxious fumes emitted from the slew of Koffing that had begun spewing their Smog around the ship. Many of the crew and party guests that he could still see were frantically coughing or attempting to hold their breath from the gasses spreading through the vicinity. Red turned to tell Clair that they had to do something to help, but the turquoise-haired trainer was already a step ahead of him – rushing the nearest Rocket Grunt and shoulder-tackling him to the floor followed by introducing her fist to his face. She quickly removed the Poké Ball from her back and glanced back at Red. Taking the hint, Red signaled Kirin to stay low to the ground as he removed the center capsule from his belt. Having seen one of their own members taken down by some rogue girl, several Rockets had begun to surround Clair and, subsequently, Red. The pair both held a rage in their eyes from the idea of anyone wanting to use Pokémon for evil, and they drew back their arms in unison, crying out in anger as they threw the Poké Balls forward.

The resulting flash of light and flame revealed Vulcan and Ashgar, accompanied by a serpentine Pokémon of nearly six feet in length. It possessed a soft, light blue hue, and a white underbelly and matching fins on either side of its head. Red had no choice but to be in shock at the sight of what he knew to be a rare Dragon Type Pokémon, Dratini. Precious few had been found in the wild, having been long thought to be extinct, and even fewer people had one of their own. Dragon Pokémon were notoriously difficult to train, but their power was unquestionable. Red's instinct was to immediately grill Clair about where she managed to get the rare creature and how she was training it, but he had to compose himself and focus on the matter at hand – a matter of safety for all the passengers and their Pokémon on the Saint Anne.

"You with me, Red?" asked Clair with an intimidating look in her eyes.

Red had to catch himself from taking a step backwards from the glance, "Definitely!"

Both trainers stood their ground behind their respective Pokémon, unfazed by the surrounding criminals. In the background, Red could hear the screams of the other passengers trying to fight back against the attacking Team Rocket in an effort to prevent their Pokémon from being taken. Red wasn't going to tolerate any thievery today, and neither was Clair. The group of Rockets that had them cornered laughed and sneered at the pair, and joked amongst each other about which of them was going to keep which Pokémon after they'd finished thrashing the young trainers.

 _If only you knew_ , thought Red, _then maybe you wouldn't waste your time picking a fight that you can't win._

The Rockets sent out a myriad of Raticate, Zubat, Drowzee, Ekans, and Koffing, all of which snarled and growled at the Dratini and two Charmander, who were quickly joined by Kirin – ready and eager to back up his friends.

Red's eyes darted from each one of the Rocket Grunts to the next, and all of the surrounding background noise was muffled for a second as his breathing and heartbeat slowed nearly to a complete halt. The moment of adrenaline-fueled focus was ended by the collection of Grunts shouting orders to their respective Pokémon to attack the two trainers. The next several moments were a blur for Red. Along with Clair's Dratini, Vulcan, Ashgar, and Kirin waged a fast-paced battle of blue flame, white hot fire, and lightning against the Rocket onslaught. Clair's command of her Dragon Type Pokémon was astounding and, despite the elegant and ornate nature of her gown, she moved in the field of battle with her Dratini in a way that he had only seen of himself with the twins. The folds of sapphire were like the gently lapping waves of a lake, moving with such fluidity that he could have sworn that her dress was actually made of water. She flawlessly directed her Dratini to use Thunder Wave, Slam, Wrap, and Dragon Rage on the assaulting Team Rocket Pokémon. Her deft command of the dragon allowed Red's Pokémon the openings they needed to clean up. Flashes of Embers and crackles of lightning from the Thundershocks being thrown around the room echoed throughout the ship, and Red gracefully commanded his Pokémon while putting himself in the thick of the battle. Had any of the other passengers not been otherwise preoccupied with the attacking syndicate, they would have seen a spectacle unlike any other – with both Red and Clair leaping to and fro between issuing orders to their respective Pokémon who themselves leaped with an uncanny grace and agility across the room as they took down the surrounding criminals.

The sound of shattering expensive dishes joined in with the thunderous cries of the trainers fighting back against Team Rocket. And no sooner had Red and Clair cleared the way of their own assailants, than they were met by a multitude of more Rocket Grunts ready to replace their defeated accomplices. The two valiant trainers each inhaled a deep breath in preparation to take on yet another wave of criminality, but before they could even finish catching their breath a huge explosion in front of them blasted the following Rockets clear across the ballroom. If the ship wasn't already over the brink of chaos, it was now. Dust blanketed the entirety of the grand room, inhibiting any visibility.

What came next literally took Red off of his feet. There was a loud clap, like the beat of powerful wings, followed by a massive gust of wind that felt like it was going to blow the entire ballroom apart. Red opened his eyes to Clair holding out her hand, with Kirin having barely clung to his clothes. In front of him stood a tall figure clad in dark blue from head to toe with a long, majestic, black cape that harkened Red back to when he had first met Clair. The male figure had bright red hair that was spiked up and backwards, and even though his back was turned to the pair, Red could sense a powerful, commanding energy from him. To say nothing of the seven foot tall winged beast that stood beside the man would be a serious disservice. The Pokémon's body was a soft orange and Red could faintly make out scales covering the entirety of the creature's body. Red had spent more than enough time studying to know what was before him, a Dragonite – the final stage of Dratini.

"Clair!" the voice boomed over the chaos surrounding them.

"Yes, cousin?" Clair responded as she finished pulling Red to his feet.

"I need you and the boy to get everyone out of here, now."

Not wanting to be one to cut and run, Red interjected, "We can help you too!" he plead as Vulcan and Ashgar came up beside him. Clair shot Red a look of shock that he could feel pierce the back of his skull.

The dragon trainer turned to face Red and Clair. His eyes quickly darting from Red's to each of his Pokémon. He looked like a man who showed little to no emotion, and was proving difficult to read. Red thought he caught a glimpse of curiosity in the trainer's eyes after giving the Charmanders and Pikachu the once-over.

"My apologies," he said to the young group, "My name is Lance, the Dragon Master. I must thank you for staying by my cousin's side this evening. However, right now our only concern must be the safety of everyone on board, both human and Pokémon alike." He turned back to his Dragonite and whispered something that was inaudible to Red at this distance.

The dragon beat its wings and generated an attack that Red had been introduced to earlier that evening, Twister, but this one was measurably more powerful – exponentially so. The Rockets were caught in the dragon attack's clutches and were spun round and around. Lance's Dragonite then reared back its right arm that had just begun to spark and crackle with electricity, before throwing an impressive haymaker Thunder Punch that zapped the Team Rocket members into submission. "Come. We need to hurry and clear the rest of the ship!" Lance called back to Red and Clair as he quickly flourished his cape and strode out of the ballroom.

After returning Dratini, Vulcan and Ashgar to their respective Poké Balls, Red and Clair followed after Lance down the S.S. Anne's halls. They were met with heavy resistance from numerous Rocket Grunts, but Lance's Dragonite was in a league of its own on the power scale, and it wasted no time in putting every Rocket down just as fast as they appeared. Not wanting to be outdone, Kirin fired off Thundershocks left and right, trying to show that he could still be of help. After several halls of this, Lance asked, "What's your name, kid?" still running forward.

"I'm Red, from Pallet Town, sir. I'm training to become the world's most powerful Pokémon Master by defeating every region's Pokémon League. I was also asked by Professor Oak to compile a digital encyclopedia on all Pokémon," he explained while trying to keep pace with the Dragon Master.

"I see," Lance replied with a smile, "That is quite the goal. Perhaps someday we'll battle against one another and determine who is stronger."

"I would love that!"

"As would I, but right now we must focus on the present task," Lance offered as the trio reached the deck of the luxury liner.

The scene in front of Red made him lose his breath momentarily. There were dozens more Rocket Grunts littered across the deck, all waging battles against the passengers and sailors that were present there. The ship was rocking to and fro from the storm beating down from overhead and the fierce waves smashing into its sides and, for a moment anyways, Red thought he was going to be sick.

 _Where did this sudden storm come from anyways…When we boarded the S.S. Anne there was hardly a cloud in the sky at all._ Red wondered.

The sound of helicopter turbines interrupted Red's inner monologue and he looked up in hopes of seeing rescue choppers from Vermilion City. He was shocked when he saw the red Team Rocket 'R' along the sides of the aircraft.

"Why is Team Rocket here?" Red yelled out. "There's no reason for them to be here other than to try and steal our Pokémon, right?"

Lance frowned as he looked skyward and pointed to where multiple Team Rocket helicopters were converging. Red's eyes strained to focus on the small figure high in the sky amidst the wind, pouring rain and rocking ship. All he could make out was a somewhat humanoid form with a long tail.

 _Is that…Mew…?_

Suddenly the criminal organization's aircraft each fired a volley of missiles at the airborne figure and Lance quickly leaped onto his Dragonite's back and raced into the sky. Red heard Lance cry out an order to his Pokémon, "Dragonite, use Dragon Rage!" a stream of blue fire poured from the dragon's mouth and connected with several of the missiles, causing them to detonate early. The figure in the sky cried out in anger and concentrated spheres of violet energy in its palms which it then proceeded to fire at the remaining missiles and vaporized them instantly. It then turned its attention to the Team Rocket choppers themselves and cried out in anger again, with a roar so shrill that Red doubled over with a throbbing sorrow and anger within his own heart and mind. Two more, larger, spheres generated in the open palms of the creature, one violet and one sky blue, and immediately fired them at the attacking aircraft, causing them to explode on impact and sending the burning wreckage crashing down into the sea.

Lance and his Dragonite repositioned themselves between the creature and the S.S. Anne as it turned to face them. Back on the ship's deck, Red and Clair were helping the other trainers be rid of the Rockets that were still remaining. Kirin fired off Thundershocks and Dratini loosed Dragon Rage upon the criminals, sending them scurrying away in frustration and a slew of insults and curses. Wanting to get a better look at what was happening in the air, Red and Kirin dashed along the deck to the very edge of the ship and tried to make out what was happening as there were no longer any gunships to be seen, and Lance was just floating in place on Dragonite.

Lance's heart was beating a mile a minute. He had never encountered such ferocity from a Pokémon, and that was even taking into account many of the fierce Pokémon he had trained with and encountered in Johto. He stared down the hovering creature with as much courage as he could muster. It had single-handedly reduced Team Rocket's powerful gunships to dust with little more than a flick of its wrists. If it decided that it was still angry and wanted to attack the luxury liner below, then they had little hope of stopping it. The Dragon Master saw the creature's eyes flash a bright blue and he knew that something bad was coming. Below he could see Team Rocket ships picking up their members on the water and leaving the scene. He turned back to the creature in time to see it charging up a large violet energy sphere in its hands and launch it his way.

Red's eyes widened when he saw the huge ball of light hurtling towards Lance and heard the dragon trainer cry out, "Hyper Beam!" and a blinding flash lit up the night as a white beam of light fired from Dragonite's mouth and rent the sky. The beam collided with the hovering creature's attack and stalemated with it for several seconds that felt like hours. Cries from both Lance and the creature ended with the Hyper Beam cutting through the sphere and connecting with its sender. But the creature's attack had made it through as well and struck the Dragon Type hard. Lance's Dragonite, already fatigued from the effort, started to fall towards the ship at a rapid pace.

"Lance!" Clair screamed as she watched her cousin fall from the sky.

Red saw the creature shoot off through the night sky, disappearing for now. There was no way for him to brace for the resulting impact from Lance and his Dragonite crashing to the S.S. Anne's deck, and most people who had been standing were bounced into the air or swept cleanly off of their feet. Red, who had been standing at the ship's edge, heard Kirin cry out.

 _Pika piiii!_ Kirin cried as it was hurtled overboard.

"Kirin, I'm coming!" Red yelled as he instinctively leaped over the railing after his trusted partner who was falling to the dark slashing waves below.

Clair's head whipped around from helping up her cousin to his feet just in time to see Red's feet diving over the side of the ship. "Red!" she screamed and dashed to the railing as fast as she was able.

Red hit the water within seconds of Kirin, and dove downward – straining to see his Pikachu in the dark stormy waters. His fingers desperately reached out and touched a small hand that clasped onto them and he pulled Kirin to his chest while attempting to swim back up to the surface. He could feel himself running out of air as he approached the surface and began to panic as he wondered how much air Kirin had. The pair broke the surface just as Red began to black out and both Pokémon and trainer gasped for air.

Back aboard the S.S. Anne, Clair leaped for joy and praised the heavens to see that her new friends had made it to the surface. She was stopped short by Lance who propped himself up against the railing, barely able to stand at this point, "They're not out of harm's way yet, Clair - not nearly," he noted as he gestured to the sea surrounding them which began to twinkle with hundreds of ruby lights. "Look at that. They're surrounded on all sides by Tentacool."

Red looked around him and Kirin and part of him wanted to laugh. "We just can't catch a break can we, buddy…?" He could feel the charge of the jellyfish Pokémon's tentacles through the water, so strongly in fact that his heart sank into his stomach at knowing just how many of them there had to be in order for that to happen. Hundreds of pairs of ruby lights that sat at the top of Tentacool's otherwise completely blue and translucent body, gleamed and lit up the surrounding waters. Several of the ruby lights were considerably larger and brighter than the rest, and that spelled immediate danger for the duo. Red cursed under his breath, "Tentacruel too…? We have to get out of here, Kirin, but I'm totally out of the energy to swim. Not to mention we're completely surrounded." Red's mind raced for a way out. Anything. Anything at all.

 _Wait_ he thought. _I have a Water Type Pokémon with me!_

He reached for the golden-hued Poké Ball and held it above his head as he tried to stay above the waves. "Magikarp, we need your help!" There was a short flash before the orange fish appeared in front of them. Even in deep water, the Water Type barely managed to hold its bearings. "Magikarp, can you please help us get to shore?" The Magikarp bubbled and swam in a circle around Red and Kirin, and Red reached out to grab hold of his fish Pokémon. But as soon as he grasped the fish's back, it began to sink below the waves, not strong enough to carry the weight of them.

 _This isn't going to work…_

"Magikarp…it's ok, you can go back into your Poké Ball. I know that you're not strong enough to carry us yet." The Magikarp looked back at Red with disappointed eyes, as though it was sorry that it wasn't helpful. "No, no, Magikarp, it's not your fault. I'm sorry that I haven't dedicated any time to training with you to help you reach your potential – and I know that you have it. Kirin, as soon as Magikarp is back in his ball, I want you to unleash the strongest Thunderbolt you've got OK?"

 _Pika? Pika pi!_ Kirin cried and waved its little arms around in protest, knowing full-well that an electric attack of that magnitude, in water, could severely injure its trainer, or worse.

"It's alright Kirin. There isn't any other way right now. I'm at fault for not being prepared for something like this by not having a Water Type Pokémon trained yet."

Kirin's eyes began to well up with tears, torn between following its trainer's orders and caring for its trainer's safety.

"Please, Kirin!" Red pleaded "We don't have much time. Those jellyfish are only a few yards away!"

Kirin began to spark as it readied its electric assault, one that would surely cause as much harm as getting attacked by the Tentacool and Tentacruel army. Magikarp bumped into Red's side over and over as it tried to sway its trainer from causing harm to himself, and Red held up its capsule to return it and get it out of harm's way. A sudden bright glow coming from Magikarp caused both Kirin and Red to stop and look at the orange fish, which then dove downward as the glow increased in intensity. Tears started to form in Red's eyes as he watched his Magikarp take on a miraculous metamorphosis beneath the storming waves and pounding rain.

From the deck of the S.S. Anne, Clair and Lance watched, wide-eyed, as the light beneath Red and his Pikachu continued to grow and spread. Clair turned to her cousin, "Lance, is that…?"

"Yes, Clair, it is. Magikarp is considered by many people the world over to be a useless Pokémon, seeing only its present weakness. They forget that a human baby too is weak and helpless at first, but with the right love and care it can grow to limitless potential to do great things. Your friend's Pokémon clearly respond to their trainer's emotions. That Magikarp is newly caught, and I can see that it has no prior training and yet – in response to its trainer's need, it is undergoing a transformation that even years of training cannot ease."

Red stared down into the glowing sea beneath him and Kirin as the figure of his evolving Pokémon rose to the surface just as the jellyfish Pokémon came within inches of the of overboard duo. Suddenly Red and Kirin were lifted out of the water on the back of the newly evolved monstrosity of a sea serpent. The blue, serpentine body was blue with an off-white underbelly and white fins littered down its back. Its head was adorned with a tri-pointed crown and long whiskers, and its fangs spoke volumes of its ferocity. Red was breathless atop his new Pokémon, and Kirin's eyes looked ready to pop out of his own skull from the surprising turn of events. The Gyarados reared back its head and let out a roar that shook the air. The Atrocious Pokémon's eyes gleamed ruby red and its mere presence intimidated the surrounding Pokémon. Its first reaction to the Tentacool and Tentacruel, now that it had the strength to defend its trainer, was creating a massive Twister that caught all of the attacking Pokémon in its torrents.

"You're incredible, Gyarados!" Red exclaimed, energized by the sight of his Magikarp transforming into a ferocious Gyarados. That Gyarados was not yet finished with the Pokémon that intended harm to his trainer and teammate. It lowered its head and unleashed a continuous stream of blue fiery energy, signature of Dragon Rage, that combined with the Twister to create an azure tornado that carried the mal-intended Water Type Pokémon out to sea.

When the S.S. Anne finally returned to port, escorted by Red on his new Gyarados, all of the remaining passengers rushed to the dock. They were anxious to get off the ship where they'd nearly lost both their Pokémon and their lives. Gyarados lowered its head so that Red and Kirin could safely hop down onto the Vermilion docks. Red's face was lit up despite the fatigue from being so proud of his Pokémon and thankful for its intervention in what would have otherwise been a very grim scenario for his team. He gently placed his hand against the side of his new Pokémon's face and the Gyarados rested its forehead against its trainer's.

"Thank you, Gyarados…no…you need a proper name," Red decided as he looked up, "How about Leviathan?"

The newly evolved ferocious Pokémon roared at the designation, audibly pleased with its new moniker. Just then, Clair came up behind them, with Lance resting on her shoulder.

"Red, that was a fantastic display. You showed not only care for your Pokémon in selflessly throwing yourself overboard to save your Pikachu, but also in knowing your Pokémon's limitations and not fruitlessly forcing them into conflict when they aren't capable of managing." Lance praised the young trainer. "Your Magikarp evolved and fought of its own volition, because you – its trainer – showed compassion towards it. Many people just throw Magikarp back into the water from which they catch it, even knowing the powerful beast that it can become, because their shortsightedness and lack of patience prevents them from putting in the time required to help it reach that stage. Yours recognized your deep and sincere care for it and reacted to that in a magnificent manner by forcing itself to evolve in order to protect you."

Lance joined Red in placing a hand on Leviathan, who quickly began to thrum from deep within its chest in reaction to the Dragon Master's touch. "I too have a Gyarados I have called my friend and partner for many years, and I can tell you now that if you dedicate the time, that few Pokémon will show you the loyalty that this species can. I suspect that its notorious ferocity and rage stems from centuries of humans overlooking or mistreating Magikarp. It is my hope that more people can come to understand that, in truth, we all come into this world weak and crying, but all living things have strength deep within them. It takes only one moment, one person, to be the catalyst. A parent, friend, rival, or mentor can all inspire us to greatness. In that same way, you, Red, inspire your Pokémon."

"Thank you, Lance," Red gestured with a polite bow, "I'm going to work hard with all of my Pokémon so that we can all reach our potential!" He and Lance shook hands before The Dragon Master turned and made for the Vermilion Pokémon Center.

"From what I've seen so far, Red, you'll succeed in reaching ever new heights. Thank you again for your help," Clair said as she hugged him and then gently kissed his cheek, turning his face the hue of his name, "Don't forget to look me up in Blackthorn City when you're ready to take on the Johto League!" she called back with a wink and a wave as she ran to catch up to her cousin.

Looking up to Kirin atop his shoulder, Red finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Y'know what, buddy, I think that even though these sorts of situations keep getting thrown at us that we'll be OK. I think we're meant to be around when things like this happen so that we can help stop them. What do you two think?"

 _Piiiiika!_

 _Gyashaaaa!_

Red and his Pokémon laughed before he returned Leviathan to its capsule and turned towards the city lights. He stopped for a moment and looked around anxiously. Kirin gently poked his head inquisitively, wondering what had captured its trainer's attention.

"That's strange, Kirin…I could have sworn that just now I'd heard…Ah, nevermind. Let's get going, buddy."

Not far off in the distance, underneath the twinkling stars of a clearing sky over a small strip of land east of where the S.S. Anne was now docked, sat a large, blue and white, flatbed pickup truck. A small figure poked its head up from the bed of the vehicle, and its sapphire eyes twinkled in the night in tandem with the stars overhead and the lights of the city. The creature softly floated in the air, swaying back and forth, and covered its hands over its mouth, as though it was giggling at the events it had just witnessed.

 _Mew mew mew!_

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Longest. Chapter. Yet. But that's a good thing, right? Many stories were told within the pages of this chapter. Red got payback against Blue in their battle aboard the S.S. Anne, and that was a blast to write I must say, especially coming up with the various ways Red's team overcame their opponents! Talon's use of Steel Wing to cut through his opponent's Twister attack made a lot of sense to me, in a couple of ways: the metallic properties gave him wind resistance, and Steel resists Dragon in the games on top of that. BruteRoot's use of Stun Spore and Vine Whip to snuff out the oncoming Ember attack was definitely one of my favorite creations thus far; what did you think of that battle?

Clair made a return guest appearance and Lance made his first appearance as well! The two cousins from Blackthorn have long been two of my all-time favorite trainers in the series, and they will certainly be back. Red getting the opportunity to fight alongside the dragon trainers was a rare treat for him, and also gave him an idea of how strong other trainers that aren't him or Blue can be.

The biggest happenings in this chapter are Red's Magikarp evolving into Gyarados in order to protect the trainer that took a chance on it. That scene was a very emotional one to write and I hope that Lance's commentary on the events was enjoyed by all of you. Leviathan will definitely play a large part in upcoming chapters, so stay tuned!

Who was the mysterious Pokemon in the sky? I'm sure you can all figure that one out fairly easily, but I hope you enjoyed his mini introduction and hints at what is yet to come! Lastly, everyone who played the original games back in '98 remembers the rumors of using HM04 Strength on the pickup truck in Vermilion Port. That stupid truck never moved. It will never move. Mew is not under it. That didn't stop me from using that old rumor to my own advantage in the story. Be on the lookout for more Pokemon theories making their presence known in upcoming chapters of Child of Fire!


	27. Squirtle Squad Scramble!

**Squirtle Squad Scramble!**

Red stretched his arms towards the cloudless, morning sky. Kirin, bright-eyed and sparky-tailed, stretched his short arms as far as he could as well. The pair strolled down the quickly awakening streets of Vermillion City while listening to the blaring horns of the ships in the port city's harbor. Although tired from the events of his S.S. Anne party experience, Red's face beamed in the morning sunlight with how proud he was of his Pokémon.

"This journey is only going to grow more challenging the further we get, Kirin. Every member of our team deserves respect and the opportunity to prove themselves – just like Leviathan did last night – and with no shortage of Pokémon in the world, we're gonna have to spend time with each and every one of them as best we can."

 _Pi-ka?_

"Don't sweat, buddy, you'll always be at my side."

 _Pika!_

"Or on my shoulder – whatever." Red chuckled as he brought up his holographic map of Kanto. The GPS tracker notated his location and zoomed in on Vermillion City. Spinning the interface, Red looked for other points of interest in the port city to check out before heading for his next major destination.

"The map shows there's a Pokémon Fan Club on the northwest end of town, Kirin. What do you think about seeing what that's all about?"

 _Pi!_

"Great! I've never been to a fan club of any kind before; I wonder what sort of people we'll find? Maybe we'll see a bunch of Super Nerds." He chuckled as he went.

The duo passed by a rough-and-tumble looking man and two short but muscular Pokémon working on a presently empty plot of land. The Pokémon furiously beat the ground into submission while the man sawed a number of planks of timber.

"Looks like they're in the beginning phases of building a house or something on that spot, Kirin. Pokémon truly are amazing creatures, being able to aid people with so many things; it really speaks to their intelligence."

 _Pi-ka pika,_ Kirin rolled his eyes and twitched his ears back and forth amusedly.

"Ha! I don't know about 'more intelligent' than humans, pal, but you're smart as a whip so I do wonder sometimes." Red fired back chidingly as he laughed and nearly nudged his electric companion off of his shoulder, to which Kirin responded with a near fire type short of smoke from his nostrils.

The building that served as the Pokémon Fan Club's meeting house sat close to one of Vermillion's many side piers. From the corner of his eye, Red spied a man sitting on the edge of the dock and delicately flinging a fishing rod with his wrist. The Kanto branch's sign read, "Are you obsessed with Pokémon? Come on in – so are we!" As Red stepped inside, he was surprised at the number of Pokémon outside of their Poke Balls. Upon noticing a new face enter the clubhouse, an elderly man in a black suit made his way over to Red, stopping just in front of him and resting his weight on a luxurious looking oak cane.

"Welcome young man," the old man beamed, "to our Kanto Pokémon Fan Club clubhouse!"

"Thank you, sir," Red said as he looked around, "I'm not familiar with the club, what exactly do people do here?"

"So thrilled you've inquired! Quite simply lad, Pokémon trainers young and old come here to dish about their favorite topic in the world – Pokémon! That could mean anything from their favorite types, species, favorite famous trainers, and everything in between. We hold monthly contests for Best Groomed Pokémon, and battle competitions on the weekends. Some of our youngsters are in what they call the "beta test phase" for a Pokémon themed trading card game they're creating as well – such creative promise! But I've gotten too far ahead of myself; I am our Club President, and, without sounding too presumptuous, you look like a strapping young trainer of action."

Red was caught off-guard by the comment, "Well sure, yeah I suppose I am. Why?"

"I hate to impose, as I'd much rather show you around our clubhouse and introduce you to all of our wonderful members, but we've had, shall we say, a bit of a gang problem as of late." The president explained.

Red could feel his blood begin to simmer underneath the surface of his skin at the thought of Team Rocket going out of their way to bother a fan club. "I can't believe those Rockets, causing trouble for a simple-"

The president quickly cut Red off "Rockets? Team Rocket? Goodness no, those dreadful mobsters haven't caused us any headaches as of yet, thankfully. Our plight is caused by admittedly a much less sinister, but much more wild bunch of troublesome Squirtles."

"Oh. Squirtles, really?" The idea of wild Pokémon causing problems for people hadn't ever really occurred to Red. While he knew that there was a stark contrast differentiating a trained Pokémon from a wild one, he almost didn't want to believe that there could be some Pokémon who would want to commit crimes. "What sort of trouble are these Squirtles causing?"

"They've been vandalizing a number of buildings – including our very own clubhouse – with graffiti and covering it in bath tissue like a squad of delinquents as well! But that's not the worst part: they also have repeatedly terrorized my poor, beautiful Rapidash, even going so far as to drench her lovely mane down to a sopping wet mop!" the club president moaned dramatically.

"That does sound like a nuisance, but I'm not really sure what I can do. Wouldn't it be a better job for the local police to-"

"No, no, no, no, no!" the gentleman interrupted, "That simply will not do at all. You must help us. I implore you. I beg of you!" he cried out as he dropped to his knees, wincing from the movement.

The theatrics of it all was quite the spectacle to Red, and he soon noticed the club members staring at him with a not-so-far-off-from-judgmental gaze. His shoulders slumped slightly as he relinquished the argument, holding up his hands. "I don't suppose that I have much of a choice in the matter do I?" he relented, "And I guess I don't actually have any reason to rush out of Vermillion this second. I'll help out, Mr. President."

No sooner had Red relented to offer his assistance, than the Pokémon Fan Club President had been back on his feet, poised and dapper as though he'd never left them. "Excellent, m'lad! We do all so very much appreciate this gesture of kindness on your part. Incidentally, the Vermillion City Police have been investigating, or so they claim, into this 'Squirtle Squad' for a few weeks now, but their efforts have yet to produce fruit of any merit. I pray that your resolve will impress and yield results worthy of note."

 _Geez. High expectations much…?_

"Don't worry, sir, I'll track them down and put a stop to their antics." Red offered with a determined nod.

He left the Pokémon Fan Club with his cap in one hand as he scratched the top of his head with the other as he thought about how and where to begin his investigation into this rag-tag gang of ruffian Water Type Pokémon. "The president of the fan club said that the Vermillion City Police Department have already opened up an investigation of their own after the club and other businesses had filed multiple complaints. I wonder if we should start with asking them if they're willing to share info?" Red wondered aloud while scratching his electric companion absentmindedly behind his pointy, black-tipped ears. Kirin was delighted with the act and nodded euphorically while sitting in his perch.

The pair strolled through the city, following the nav marker that the young trainer had set on their map. In the distance, Red could hear the blaring of ship horns echoing across the harbor and he was chillingly reminded of the averted tragedy of the prior night. Those events, he vowed, would serve as a reminder to him that no matter the species, all Pokémon had value and their own individual strengths. The Vermillion City PD building was bustling with activity when Red arrived at its glass doors. Red could see two officers escorting a pair of rough looking men through the lobby; one of the men was monstrously large, with a clean shaven head and wore shredded denim clothes, and his exposed arms were covered in various tattoos. Red couldn't see what all of the images were, but was able to make out an Arbok – the much larger, evolved form of Ekans, with relative ease.

The second, and much smaller man, was clad entirely in black leather, and his jack bore a stitched image of a Gyarados on the back. Conversely with the monster of a man, the skinny one bore a plume of neon pink hair spiked to the ceiling by several inches. "I wonder what those guys did to get booked here, Kirin?"

 _Pika…_

"Yeah, I think I'd rather not know either." Red continued toward the front desk and noticed a pair of officers attempting to restrain a woman who looked as though she couldn't have been much older than he. The woman kicked and scratched at the officers trying to hold her in place while a third one held a clipboard and was jotting down what Red surmised to be the laundry list of accusations held against her. When the note-taking officer completed his list, the woman huffed and stuck her nose up in the air, clearly not making much of an attempt at denying the charges, before whipping the arresting officers in the face with her violet and magenta dyed pigtails and continuing her tirade of kicking and screaming.

"She's a lively one isn't she?" a female voice shot out in Red's direction.

He turned in the direction of the familiar alto to be met with the smiling face of the officer he had helped the other day in Diglett's Cave. Ecstatic to see a friendly face, Red met her halfway and the two shook hands.

"It's great to see you again so soon, Red. How are you?" the officer inquired.

"We're doing well, miss-"

"Yeah I totally realized that I ran off in a hurry the other day that I didn't even give you my name," she raised her hand to her cover her face as she laughed at herself in embarrassment, "It's Moira." She introduced herself after regaining her composure.

Red smiled as the two were re-introduced. "It's great to officially meet you, Moira!"

 _Pi-ka!_

"Apparently it's a shared sentiment." Red laughed as he gestured to Kirin atop his shoulder.

"It's lovely to see you again too, Cutie" Moira adoringly scratched the Pikachu behind the ear. "So what can I do for you two today?" returning her attention to Red. He then gave his new friend the quick version of what he had been told by the fan club president.

"So yeah," Red concluded, "I came here hoping that someone could tell me anything about the investigation into this 'Squirtle Squad'. It'd be really helpful if you could help me out."

Moira rested her chin into her palm and tapped her cheek for a few moments in thought. "We're not exactly supposed to share information about ongoing investigations, but with the string of Team Rocket attacks across the region, resulting in a rise in street and biker gang activity, we really can't be worrying about dedicating resources to catching Pokémon tagging the side of a building. I'll see what I can dig up if you think you can help."

"Really – would you? Thank you! That would be a huge help and get me back on my journey." Red beamed.

"Think of it as my way of returning the favor from your help in Diglett's Cave the other day." Said Moira. "Follow me; I'll take you to the evidence room, but please be discrete as I'd like to avoid losing my job."

"Of course, officer." Red replied with a nod and proceeded to tag closely behind Moira as she led him to the evidence room.

Once inside, Moira glanced around the main department lobby before quickly shutting the door behind them followed quickly by discretely closing the wooden blinds to the room for further privacy. Moira purposefully strolled over to one of the many grey, metal evidence lockers that lined the back wall, her black heels click-clacking on the vinyl flooring, and pulled the first one open. "Typically, most cases are filed chronologically. If I remember right, the 'Squirtle Squad' case was officially opened a few weeks back, after the local fan club president made a huge scene in the main lobby. If he wasn't already retired I'd say he has a promising future in theatre."

Red chuckled, having seen first-hand the theatrics Moira was referring to. "He means well, but I know exactly what you mean. He definitely has a…flare for the dramatic when it comes to coercing to get his way.

Moira nodded silently in acknowledgement, focusing on locating the case file Red needed. "Please keep a close eye out for anyone coming," she instructed as she continued to methodically thumb through the files, "I'm not sure what we'll do if someone comes knocking."

"Don't worry, we're on it," Red said quietly as he lifted one of the sheets of the wooden blinds and carefully peered through for any signs of inquisitive eyes coming their way. "Still nothing. We're good, Moira."

"Gotcha!" Moira exclaimed in hushed excitement. "Found the case file; now we just have to find out what our department has learned that could help you," she quickly turned on her heel and strode over to a long table in the room's center, adjusting her navy blue pencil skirt before sitting cross-legged on its edge, and gestured for Red to come over and examine the evidence files with her.

Kirin hopped down from his perch and leaned over inquisitively at the files that Red and Moira poured over on the table. Red removed his cap and scratched his head once again. "I'm seeing dates of the various complaints that were filed regarding the group of Squirtles…some brief descriptions of the misdemeanors they've supposedly committed – pulling an officer's skirt down – I'm sure that went over really well with the department."

"I-ironically enough, or maybe not, that incident was when the department took the case more seriously. But as I said earlier, with everything else that is going on we just can't be dedicating valuable resources to some PokéPranksters." Moira hastily offered, and Red noticed a slight rose hue flush across her cheeks. "Here," she pointed to a few specific lines adjacent to a miniature map of the wharf and harbor area of the city, "it looks like the last officer looking into the case thought that there was some commonality with the locations of each incident."

"You're right," Red nodded in agreement, "Seems like he concluded that they must operate out of the harbor, and that explains why they're rarely caught in the act and are able to get away so easily: they're operating right under the city's nose!"

"Great!"

 _Pika!_ Kirin exclaimed, shocking both Red and Moira from their sleuthing.

"Sshhhush," Red held his finger to his mouth and turned his head to face Kirin, but was dumbstruck by what he saw: a clowning grin across his face, Kirin sat with a tan deerstalker cap on his head, a wooden pipe in his mouth, and a small magnifying lens in his little hand.

Red cocked a curious eyebrow at the small electric mouse Pokémon, "Kirin, where did you get all of that stuff…? Do I even want to know?"

To which the Pikachu responded with a sheepishly baffled shrug.

"He must have found it in one of the boxes under the table. The department puts on an annual play for the local grade schools that they call 'Detective Pikachu'," Moira explained. "It's pretty cheeky, but in a charming sort of way."

Still dumbstruck by the sight of his partner looking so ridiculous, Red couldn't help but smack his palm against his forehead in laughter, something which Moira joined him in. Their laughter was cut short by a light rapping of knuckles against the door to the evidence room.

"Oh Muk!" Moira cursed under her breath. "We've been in here for too long, and have been far too loud!"

"What do we do?" Red hastily asked, worry trailing in the tone of his voice.

"Uhhh…kiss me!" Moira quickly pointed to her face.

"W-what? What are you talking about? This is no time for that sort of thing!" Red protested as his face flushed a hue befitting of his name.

Moira's eyes went stern, and pointed at her face again. "Kiss. Me. Dangit!" she said, this time in a far more commanding tone of voice as the knocking grew louder and they could hear voices on the other side of the door.

Red hesitated, unsure of what to do. He'd never kissed a girl other than his mother on the cheek, and this was far from the situation he had envisioned himself to be in when that moment finally arrived. His protesting was muted in a single moment. As the deadbolt clicked into its unlocked position and the shuttered glass door swung open, the young officer grabbed either sides of Red's collar and pulled him towards herself, pressing her mouth against his. The male officer that marched into the evidence room with stern purpose not a second later, stumbled forward as his composure was thrown by the two young adults against the table.

"H-holy!" he exclaimed in embarrassment before turning heel and fumbling back out the same way he came in. "It's n-nothing guys; Moira's lip-locked with some guy in there!"

Finally able to release from one another's lips, Moira gently pushed Red away from her and composed herself, straightening her uniform and fixing her hair while Red dusted off his cap with a ghastly blank stare.

When at last Moira looked up at Red, she snapped him back to reality, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to freak you out or anything, but I just couldn't think of a valid excuse for having a civilian in our evidence room…So I did what I hoped would just scare off anyone who would walk in and avoid questions altogether. It's better than being thrown in a cell!"

 _A heck of a lot better I hope…_ she mused to herself.

"Oh c'mon; don't be such a little kid, I don't have cooties! It worked…didn't it…?" Moira tried turning her tone to a less accusatory and more playful one as she leaned forward.

"Y-yeah it did. You're right. Sorry. I just was really not expecting that." Red confessed as his face returned to its normal hue.

"Don't worry about it. Let's get out of here so you can finish your case," offered the young woman.

The two made certain that no one was looking in the direction of the evidence room before opening the door and slipping their way out of the lobby. Once outside the department, Moira hugged Red and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you again for all of your help, both the other day and today. This is going to help out our officers a great deal if you can solve the case."

"Of course, Moira. I'm on the case!" Red and Moira looked down at Kirin who grinned widely up at them. "And so is Detective Pikachu!" Red announced as the three shared a laugh before going their separate ways.

The sky overhead the Vermillion harbor couldn't have been clearer. The sun's rays warmed the harbor air just enough to counter its normal chill, and the light glistened euphorically along its surface as Red and Kirin arrived at one of the docks. "The map that Moira and I found in the case file showed the likely location of the Squirtle Squad's base to be somewhere nearby," noted Red as he held up his map and pointed to the area where he and Kirin now stood, "but I don't see how someone could have missed a hideout sitting out in the open…"

Kirin hopped down from Red's shoulder and scampered over to the edge of the dock, peering over the side into the harbor waters as he swished his lightning bolt-esque tail to and fro. Red tilted his head bemusedly at his partner's behavior before catching on to what Kirin was thinking. "Ah! You think that the Squirtles' base is under the harbor itself, like an underwater cavern?"

At this, the Pikachu turned around excitedly and nodded. _Pi Pikachu!_

"I suppose that does make a heck of a lot more sense than their hideout being right out where everyone could see it," Red admitted as he himself peered over the side of the pier, "But how far down do you think it would be…?"

As though the question and solution were directed toward him specifically, Kirin climbed up his trainer's leg, snagging one of the Poké Balls off Red's belt and smacking it with the flat edge of his tail into the water. Materializing in a flash of light from within the capsule was Red's newly evolved Gyarados, Leviathan who made its presence known with a bellowing roar. "Aha! We can ask Leviathan if he can check the harbor for a possible entrance to the Squirtles' hideout; great idea, Kirin!"

The electric mouse Pokémon appeared quite pleased with itself as the atrocious sea serpent Pokémon swam up to the pier to get closer to its trainer. "It's great to see you, Leviathan. We need your help: would you swim under the harbor and look for anything that resembles a cave entrance? We're looking for group of troublemakers and think that their hideout is down there somewhere."

 _Gyassshaa!_ Leviathan responded agreeably and its serpentine body quickly dove under the surface.

Several minutes passed and Red had let BruteRoot, Talon, Vulcan and Ashgar out from their respective capsules to soak up the sun and enjoy the fresh air of the port city's sea-facing edge while waiting for his Gyarados to surface from its underwater search. "Talon, see if there's any sign of the Squirtle Squad causing trouble in the surrounding area while we wait." With a pleased warble, the Pidgeotto soared high into the sky above the harbor, scanning for any activity while everyone else waited on the ground and watched the ships come and go.

When at last Leviathan surfaced, all of Team Red came over to greet him and congratulate the Pokémon on its recent evolution. The Gyarados splashed the tip of its serpentine tail in pleasure at the welcome party. "What were you able to find down there, Leviathan – anything at all?" Red inquired to his sea-faring companion. The atrocious Pokémon responded with turning around and signaling its trainer to hop aboard its back. "I guess there's no avoiding getting wet today is there," Red winced, having had enough water the night before, "Alright let's do this. Vulcan, Ashgar…return! BruteRoot, you stay here and wait for Talon. Kirin, I'll let you decide if you want to take the dive with me, or wait here with BruteRoot."

Kirin took in a deep breath, puffing out his red-patched cheeks and his chest. "Ok buddy, but you have a minute before you need to start holding your breath." Red laughed at the azure-turning face of his electric companion before belting his other Pokémon's capsules and leaping atop Leviathan's back with Kirin in tow. "Let's do this, Leviathan…ready…go!" Red and Kirin each inhaled deeply as possible just as the sea serpent dove under the water's surface. Despite how clear it appeared from the pier, Red's eyes still strained to see much of anything beyond a few feet in front of him as his Pokémon descended to nearly the bay's floor. No sooner had Red felt his chest tightening from the extended dive, than his Gyarados passed into a cave opening and emerged in the pool of a hidden underwater cavern.

Red and Kirin breathed, both sighs of relief and deep breaths of oxygen, as soon as Leviathan had surfaced, returning the sea serpent to his capsule before examining the cave that was hidden away beneath the bay. The secluded-by-submersion cave was a sight to behold. The turquoise water reflected and shimmered brilliantly across the walls, and despite being quite far beneath the docks, the atmosphere was temperate. The cave was certainly no massive expanse, but it was large enough to fit several large Pokémon within – and certainly enough to house a group of the tiny turtle Pokémon, Squirtle. Lined in the back, up against the wall, were a multitude of crates that were filled with various objects from cans of spray paint to baseballs and maracas.

"Why would they be storing stuff like this down here? Do they not have homes of their own?" Red wondered aloud and he perused the collection of odds and ends, Kirin falling into one of the crates in the meantime.

Their detective work was cut short by an angrily unified exclamation from the entrance. Standing behind them, with accusatorily pointed fingers aimed in Red's direction, were no less than five of the light blue tiny turtle Pokémon known as Squirtle. Each of the 1'8" in height water types stared at Red through dark sunglasses, with the centermost member bearing long, triangle lenses on its face. The dark lenses couldn't hide the Pokémon's anger however, and the quintet approached the intrepid adventurer while foaming at the mouth. Red knew that to be a sign not of rabies, but of a Squirtle's signature special attack, Bubblebeam. That was a lot of Bubblebeams, but while Red had a plan B, he was thankful Kirin had chosen to tag along.

"Kirin!" Red called out to his partner, whose pointed ears perked up from the crate their owner had been rummaging through, and the yellow mouse dashed to its trainer's side ready to defend him from the ruffian water types.

The Squirtles flinched for a moment at the appearance of the electric type, and they huddled more closely together and partially retracted their heads and arms within their shells like a phalanx with each member of the group ready to protect another. Red was surprised and impressed by not only the tactful strategy, but also the level of camaraderie displayed by the squad. Kirin's fur bristled with electricity as it stood at the ready.

"Hold on a sec, buddy," Red held his hand in front of his sparking Pikachu, "wait."

The Squirtles halted their advance momentarily when they saw the human call off his Pokémon, one that held a type advantage over them.

"Why are you guys causing trouble around Vermillion? What good does defacing public property and terrorizing people do for you?" Red asked – his question heartfelt.

The group of tiny turtles all looked at one another with curious expressions and then ran over to the crates in the back of the cave, and then began excitedly holding up various things they had procured.

"Okay, I see you got some cool stuff but that's not really _your_ cool stuff is it, it's someone else's stuff," Red offered, "right?"

Once again, the Squirtles chattered amongst each other before turning back to Red.

"I know that you guys probably like having all of this…stuff, but what's stopping you from having it legitimately by having a trainer who buys it for you to play with?"

There was several seconds of silence followed by hushed murmurs before the center Squirtle with the spiky shades reached into his shell and pulled out a small, framed photograph. Getting up in his face, the Squirtle showed Red the picture: young, blonde haired girl and her parents, and a Squirtle next to her.

"Was this girl your friend?"

The Squirtle nodded solemnly in response.

"Did you get lost and separated from her?"

It shook its head.

"Were you abandoned by her?"

No again.

"Did-" Red paused for a moment, "did she die?"

At this, the Squirtle's shoulders slumped, and Red could see the look of pain through the dark shade of the Pokémon's lenses.

"After the girl passed away, her parents didn't know what to do with you did they? They had no experience in raising a Pokémon themselves, and having you around just reminded them of their daughter."

The other four Squirtle surrounded their leader in consolation. _I'm not sure what the other Squirtles' stories are, but they must have had something unfortunate or terrible happen to them as well…_

"Look…I don't know what all of your guys' stories are, but no one should ever be abandoned whatever the reason. How about you all come with me; let's bring back the stuff that you took and we can find great homes for all of you – I promise." Red held out his hand to the leader and waited for a response.

All of the Pokémon looked unsure of themselves and the situation they now found themselves in, but after a few moments of head scratching their leader reached out with his hand to Red's in acquiescence. Red felt a sigh of relief alongside a pang of guilt over what had happened to the Pokémon, but the past couldn't be changed; their futures however, could be and would be, he would make certain of it. He and Kirin helped the Squirtle Squad gather up all of the illegally procured belongings and, after summoning Leviathan for his aid, the group all began their ascent to the surface.

Awaiting the group was Talon circling just above the harbor, who trilled joyfully at the sight of its trainer returning safely, BruteRoot whose worried expression faded when he saw Red surface, and Moira.

 _Oh boy, this could get ugly…_

Red and Kirin stepped off of Leviathan's back, soaking wet from head to toe from the swim, followed by the Squirtle Squad, each of which held one of the crates of stolen items. Moira rushed over to Red to ask what had happened, but Red started first.

"Don't worry, Moira, the Squirtle Squad won't be causing any more problems for anyone. I've convinced them that their delinquent way of life wasn't the best for anyone – themselves included. They've agreed to return everything that they stole as well as aid in the removal of the graffiti they tagged on buildings." He informed the officer, with relief in his voice.

"That's great news Red. I've no idea how you managed to get them to do all of that without a fight, but I'm really happy that you did." Sighed Moira.

"I only ask that you help find them new homes where they can be loved and cared for; they all have pasts, just like we do," he pled as he looked skywards, "and they equally deserve to be loved as we are."

"You really are something, Red. You would make a fine officer in the department some day!"

Red bowed his head gratefully at the compliment, "Thank you, but I have my own path to walk and destiny to fulfill." He then turned to the Squirtle Squad's leader, who had just finished handing over his crate of items. "I pray you all find what you deserve. Moira is a good person; she'll help you all out, I promise."

The Squirtle Squad began to wave their farewells to Red and his team, but their leader paused and looked at his squad mates, chattered about something for a moment, and then turned back to Red who ceased waving goodbye and tilted his head inquisitively.

"Squirtle…do you want your new home to be with me?" he asked as he lowered his wave into an outstretched offered hand as Kirin leaped up to his shoulder.

Squirtle lowered his head and carefully removed the triangle shades from his eyes, sliding them into his shell. He then raised his head proudly, his copper eyes glimmering in the afternoon sun. Red wasn't sure if the shine was from tears of joy or not, but it didn't matter. This Squirtle was finding a home right now, and that home was with him. The tiny turtle Pokémon's teal scales blended against the bright hue of the sky as he dashed into his new trainer's arms and, for a moment at least, Red thought he felt the soft drip of tears falling onto his shirt. _Nah, must be my wet hair._ He chuckled to himself as the rest of his team introduced themselves to their newest friend.

"That's so sweet of you, Red, to take in that Squirtle like that. I'm sure you'll be fast friends." Beamed Moira as she looked down at Red's newest companion curiously.

Squirtle looked up from its new trainer's arms at Moira for a moment and the water type and young officer shared a look of acquaintance between them before the turtle grinned devilishly wide and an expression of horror grew on Moira's face as she took a half step back.

"What's the matter, Moira?" Red asked concernedly as he stood up from embracing his newest Pokémon.

"T-hat's the s-same Squirtle-" Moira began to break into a shriek, but before all of the words could leave her lips, Squirtle had bitten the edge of her pencil skirt and pulled down as hard as he could. It all happened so fast that Red barely had time to whip his head to look the other way. "Close but not _quite_ close enough this time, you little miscreant; I wore leggings today!"

At this revelation, Squirtle moaned in disappointment followed by a halfway innocent giggle.

"Hmph! Better luck next time, perv!" Moira chided and shook her fist at the water type as she pulled the navy skirt back up her frame.

Red chuckled as lightly as he could given the situation, "Well I guess we know who filed _that_ report, now don't we Kirin?" he turned to his electric companion and laughed aloud amidst the warm sunlight.


End file.
